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August 16, 2026PLOS Digital HealthOpen Access

Mobile health interventions for African adults with hypertension: Evidence from a systematic review of implementation research outcomes

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Key result

mHealth for hypertension in Africa shows high acceptability and feasibility despite financial and network barriers.

  • n=18

Why the study?

Mobile health interventions show promise for hypertension management, but their implementation outcomes in African countries remain underexplored.

Do mobile health (mHealth) interventions demonstrate acceptable implementation outcomes (acceptability, feasibility, adoption) for hypertension management in African adults?

Population

Adults diagnosed with hypertension in Africa across 18 included articles

Comparison

mHealth interventions

Design

Systematic review

Authors

PLPriyanka LankaNew York UniversityAEAyomide EnitanNew York UniversityAMAngela MakgaboNew York University

Discussion

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Member takes

Overview

mHealth shows acceptability for African hypertension care but faces feasibility barriers; leaves open rural scalability and sustainability questions.

Key Points

  • To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, adoption, and implementation outcomes of mobile health interventions for hypertension management among adults living in Africa.
  • Conducted a systematic review across nine databases following PRISMA guidelines from inception through January 2024.
  • Included experimental, observational, and qualitative studies assessing Proctor's implementation outcomes for mHealth in African adults with diagnosed hypertension.
  • Appraised risk of bias across included studies using the ASSESS tool.
  • Analyzed 18 articles, with acceptability (n = 10), feasibility (n = 11), adoption (n = 4), and effectiveness (n = 3) representing the most frequently reported implementation outcomes, all demonstrating low risk of bias.
  • Application-based platforms were widely utilized in urban centers across Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, while text-message interventions effectively engaged non-smartphone users.
  • Key implementation barriers included cellular network instability, financial constraints, and an underrepresentation of rural populations.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review (n=18)

Structured PICO

Do mobile health (mHealth) interventions demonstrate acceptable implementation outcomes (acceptability, feasibility, adoption) for hypertension management in African adults?

P
Population
A systematic review of 18 studies evaluating the acceptability, feasibility, and adoption of mobile health interventions for hypertension management among adults in Africa.
I
Intervention
Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, including SMS-based messaging and mobile applications, for hypertension management (screening, referral to care, treatment adherence, remote monitoring).
O
Outcome
Proctor's implementation outcomes: acceptability, feasibility, adoption, and appropriateness.

mHealth interventions for hypertension management in Africa show high acceptability and promise for improving care, but widespread adoption is hindered by feasibility challenges such as network connectivity and financial constraints.

Limitations

  • Exclusion of hypertension with comorbidities beyond diabetes and stroke
  • Most studies were confined to urban areas, potentially limiting the scalability of these interventions in rural and non-urban regions
  • Many studies lacked clinical outcome data, limiting the extent to which implementation success can be interpreted as clinically meaningful
  • Lack of comprehensive impact measurement via adherence tracking and long-term clinical outcomes
  • exclusion of hypertension with comorbidities beyond diabetes and stroke
  • most studies were confined to urban areas potentially limiting the scalability of these interventions in rural and non-urban regions in resource-constrained areas

Cite This Study

Lanka et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Hypertension (n=18). Mobile health (mHealth) interventions was evaluated on Implementation outcomes (acceptability, feasibility, adoption). Mobile health interventions for hypertension management in Africa demonstrated high acceptability and feasibility, though financial constraints and cellular network issues remain prominent barriers.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817a4cf2fb91fc834adfc4https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0001612
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Assessing implementation outcomes from studies addressing medication adherence for hypertension management in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review2025
  2. 2Digital health tools in hypertension management in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review of barriers and facilitators of adoption into mainstream healthcare.2025 · 11 citations
  3. 3Assessing the Effectiveness of mHealth Interventions for Diabetes and Hypertension Management in Africa: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis2023 · 18 citations
  4. 4Mobile health technologies in the prevention and management of hypertension: A scoping review2024 · 10 citations
  5. 5Implementation of mobile health interventions in hypertension management and outcomes: A scoping review protocol2026 · 1 citations