BACKGROUND: The Antenatal Care (ANC) Center is a conventional facility that caters for the prenatal healthcare needs of expectant mothers and ensures proper management by healthcare professionals; however, expectant mothers seek healthcare support from other sources. This study aimed to examine the utilization of social media for healthcare information among expectant mothers in the capital city of Ghana and explore the factors that influence its adoption. METHOD: This study employed a non-experimental survey design. The study used a questionnaire to gather data from expectant mothers. Using 580 valid responses, SmartPLS structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the study model. RESULTS: The study findings demonstrated the significant influence of performance expectancy of social media (PESM) and facilitating conditions of social media (FCSM) on social media healthcare information usage (SMHIU). The results also revealed that emotional support on social media and perceived vulnerability were influential factors that shaped expectant mothers' choices to use social media for healthcare information. However, the study showed that perceived severity and the relative advantage of social media had no significant effects on SMHIU. Interestingly, FCSM was found to be significantly associated with PESM, emphasizing that social media support enhances performance expectancy. CONCLUSION: This study showed that information is important to expectant mothers, which compels them to seek digital healthcare. With these findings, healthcare providers can incorporate digital health services into their ANC service to support women during pregnancy.

The internet and emerging technologies have increased the utilisation of digital platforms. This study aims to draw on performance expectancy, social influence, and satisfaction to investigate a proposed model which is geared toward social media healthcare information (SOHI) adoption. The proposed model uses a structured online questionnaire, and 300 responses were evaluated using partial least squares and structural equation modelling [PLS-SEM]. From the findings, performance expectancy of social media (PESM) and satisfaction with social media (SATSM) were revealed to be significant predictors of behavioural intention towards social media (BISM). Satisfaction with social media (SATSM) had the greatest impact on BISM, accounting for 64.7 per cent of the variance in users' intentions to utilise SOHI. Similarly, PESM and social influence on social media (SISM) had the most predictive influence on SATSM, accounting for 50.5 per cent of the variance in users' social media satisfaction, which led to SOHI adoption. Unlike others, the social influence on social media (SISM) did not have a significant effect on BISM. BISM and satisfaction with social media (SATSM) were significant predictors of SOHI adoption, accounting for 54.5 per cent of the variance in SOHI adoption. The recommendations in this study would help healthcare professionals change their approach to digital healthcare engagement.

Background: Expectant women receive healthcare education at antenatal care (ANC) clinics, but it is noteworthy that expectant mothers tend to seek information from various sources beyond their primary healthcare providers. Aims: The study aims to investigate determinants influencing expectant mothers' continuous use of digital media for pregnancy information. Methods: The study involves participants of expectant women who attend ANC clinics in five municipal hospitals. The hypotheses were tested with 580 responses using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS version 4. Results: The findings revealed that social media healthcare information usage, perceived severity, and emotional support on social media influence expectant mothers' decisions to continue using digital media for healthcare purposes. However, the effect of perceived vulnerability on social media healthcare information usage was insignificant. Conclusion: This study concludes that expectant mothers will continue to adopt digital platforms to access healthcare information. The findings provide recommendations to help healthcare providers advance antenatal care. Keywords: Emotional support, healthcare, expectant women, SMHIC, social media

The advancement of technology and the internet have increased social media platforms' popularity in recent years. Intending to extend the social media healthcare information [SOHI] model, this study incorporates attitudes toward social media [ATTSM] to extend the model. The model was tested using SmartPLS in a quantitative study with 310 participants. The results reveal that performance expectancy of social media (PESM) has a positive and significant influence on ATTSM and satisfaction with social media (SATSM), respectively. The findings show that both ATTSM and SATSM are significantly impacted by social influence on social media (SISM). In addition, ATTSM and SATSM significantly affected the behavioural intention of social media (BISM). Furthermore, the outcome indicated that BISM has a major effect on how people use SOHI. By testing SOHI with the integration of ATTSM, it has been proven that attitude plays a critical role in users’ decisions to use social media for healthcare.

In developing countries, the use of digital media for health information by expectant mothers is a relatively new phenomenon, in contrast to developed countries. This study explores whether emotional support and satisfaction are linked and how they affect the use of social media for healthcare information. A non-experimental survey design was employed in this study. Expectant mothers were surveyed in five hospitals in Ghana's capital from May to August 2022 using a questionnaire. After reviewing and cleaning the data, 580 usable responses were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 structural equation modeling. The findings of the study indicate that expectant mothers' decision to adopt digital media for health information is influenced by emotional support on social media (ESPSM) and satisfaction with social media (SATSM). Furthermore, satisfaction with social media partially mediated the effect between ESPSM and social media health information usage (SMHIU). These findings highlight the importance of emotional support and satisfaction with social media platforms in promoting digital health information usage. In particular, emotional support plays a crucial role for women, especially during pregnancy. These discoveries provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals on how best to assist expectant mothers.

Purpose: The research reviews the implementation of Ghana’s Digital Addressing System. Nearly six years into implementation and without an outward appearance of the meeting of the announced goals of the project, the research sets out to find out the likelihood of success or failure of the project and suggest remedial measures. Relevance: The implementation of digital addressing in Ghana holds and demonstrates promise for benefits relative to transportation, courier services, taxation, property ownership and title, among others. For policy makers, the findings of this work give direct pointers to what needs to be done to keep the concept useful. For researchers, the work has only opened the doors for further academic and technical introspection into digital addressing and its nuances especially in Ghana. Methods: Using a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques the study assessed the implementation of the policy employing interviews, surveys, workshops and group discussion. It hinged on the Design-Reality Gap (DRG) model to identify the issues of interest with Ghana's digital addressing systems. Findings: We found out that the attempts, although well intended, fall short in several best practice aspects. The research found it difficult to confidently showcase any immediate successes arising out of the implementation of the Ghana Post GPS App and System and proceeds to point out specific areas in need of attention if Ghana’s Digital Addressing efforts are to meet the presumptive goals. Conclusion: The Digital Addressing System might be a partial failure unless action is taken to close design-reality gaps.