Digital health interventions for hypertension management in African women: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Hypertension is disproportionately prevalent in African women (48% prevalence rate vs. 34% in men) and poorly controlled (13% control rate in sub-Saharan Africa vs. 23% globally). Digital health platforms (e.g., mHealth, telehealth, telemedicine) have the potential to improve access to hypertension care in Africa, which has a mostly rural population (51.2%). However, gender experiences, needs, and barriers to care are not well researched. A scoping review is a suitable approach to conduct an initial mapping of disparate evidence and identify gaps related to digital health interventions for hypertension in African women. The scoping review can inform future research and policy.<h4>Methods</h4>The protocol has been registered on Open Science Framework and adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping Review Extension (PRISMA-ScR) and JBI standards. All studies from 2010 through 2025 on women 18 years and older in 54 African nations will be included and will represent significant data on digital health programs. Two reviewers will conduct a faceted search of keywords such as "Hypertension," "Women," "Africa," and "Digital Health" in various databases, grey literature, and resources such as the X platform. Data will be extracted using a standardized form, with quality assessment following Cochrane RoB2 and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale where applicable. The results will be presented by research question (such as barriers and effectiveness) and region, setting, and design of study and will be intended for sharing with scientific and public communities.<h4>Discussion</h4>This review will map digital health interventions for hypertension management, systematically examining gender-based barriers and socioeconomic factors. Quantitative outcomes (e.g., blood pressure control rates, treatment adherence) and qualitative findings (e.g., themes of user acceptability, trust in digital health platforms) will be synthesized to identify evidence gaps and inform the development of equitable, gender-responsive digital health tools and policies. Study heterogeneity is a limitation, mitigated by a rigorous search.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This protocol ensures transparent reporting, with amendments documented in OSF. Findings will guide stakeholders to improve hypertension control.