Predictors of Acceptance of Smartphone Application among People with Hypertension in India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background In India, nearly one-fourth of the population has hypertension, and only 17.5% of them have their blood pressure under control. Utilizing a smartphone application for hypertension care could potentially address the unmet needs within the existing healthcare delivery system. However, individuals with hypertension are the primary stakeholders for the implementation of such smartphone application-based care. Therefore, identifying the factors that influence the acceptance of a smartphone application-based care among individuals with hypertension is a prerequisite. Aim This study aimed to identify factors influencing acceptance of smartphone application among people with hypertension using the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model with age, gender, education, digital health literacy, m-health experience, status of blood pressure and its risk factors. Method In this cross-sectional survey, 134 individuals with hypertension, aged 30–79 years, were recruited from public and private healthcare facilities located in both urban and rural areas. One hundred and thirty-four participants completed the self-administered questionnaire. Results One hundred and twenty-four participants’ responses were analysed. Primary analysis revealed that individuals who perceived the application to be easy to use were 8.55 (95% CI: 1.973–37.008, p-0.004) times, more likely to accept smartphone application-based care. However, in the sensitivity analysis, it was found to be insignificant (aOR = 3.52, p = 0.08), whereas social influence (aOR = 8.20, 95% CI: 2.835-23.719, p <0.001) was identified as a significant predictor of acceptance of smartphone-based care. Other variables had insignificant influence on smartphone application-based care. Conclusion Ease of use was found to be a significant predictor of smartphone application acceptance among individuals with hypertension in the primary analysis however it was not retained in the sensitivity analysis Implications These studies’ findings suggest that individual, technological, and social predictors influence acceptance of smartphone application-based hypertension care, and future studies should confirm their independent contributions.