FACTORS INFLUENCING SOCIAL MEDIA CHOICE FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INFORMATION AMONG NAIROBI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

In Kenya, youth constitute 35% of the population and are often sexually active and experimental. To navigate this stage safely, they require adequate access to reproductive health information. While the government and other stakeholders have established mechanisms for communicating health information, these remain insufficient. With increasing internet access via mobile phones, there is growing interest in integrating social networking sites (SNS) with traditional media to provide reproductive health information. Anchored on the Uses and Gratification Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model, this study employed a mixed-methods design. Findings reveal that gratification, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and gender as a moderating factor influence university students’ preference for SNS as a source of reproductive health information in Nairobi County.