Persepsi Ibu Hamil terhadap Kegunaan Aplikasi Kesehatan dalam Pemantauan Kehamilan di Kota Ambon

Abstrak

The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) remains a maternal health issue that requires attention, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. Efforts to improve access to information and monitor pregnancy health are important strategies in reducing the risk of pregnancy complications. The development of digital technology has encouraged the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications as a means of supporting pregnancy health monitoring. However, the effectiveness of its use is not only determined by the completeness of its features, but also by users' perceptions of the application's usability. The perception of usability is an important factor in determining the acceptance and sustainability of health application use by pregnant women. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of pregnant women in Ambon City regarding the usefulness of health applications in supporting pregnancy health monitoring. This study used a descriptive design with secondary data that was part of the “Ultralight Project” research. The research sample consisted of 300 pregnant women who used health applications to monitor their pregnancies in Ambon City. The measurement of the application's usability was carried out using the Mobile Application Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ). Data analysis was carried out descriptively by calculating the mean and standard deviation of each statement item. The results showed that all items had mean values in the range of 5.52–6.41, indicating a high level of agreement with the aspects of ease of use, ease of learning the application, and the benefits of the application for pregnancy health. The item with the highest mean was ease of use, while the aspect of access in limited connection conditions received a relatively lower mean value. This study concludes that the health application is perceived to have a high level of usefulness by pregnant women in Ambon City. However, optimization of network accessibility and user experience is still needed to support more effective use of mHealth in maternal health services.