Date of Conferral

7-2-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Sciences

Advisor

Jennifer Oliphant

Abstract

Many researchers have documented the benefits of telehealth in managing cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. However, acceptance and use of telehealth among immigrants in the United States were low compared to other users, and little is known about Afro-Caribbean immigrants and their telehealth acceptance and use. Guided by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, this study explored how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions shape behavioral intentions and telehealth use among Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A generic qualitative design with a purposive sampling strategy was used to interview 17 Afro-Caribbean immigrants who self-reported as telehealth users and non-users. Participants were non-institutionalized adults aged 21 years or older who legally resided in the United States, had cardiovascular disease or at least one related risk factor, and had internet access. The researcher developed an interview guide to collect data. Data were analyzed using the deductive thematic approach via Dedoose Version 10 to generate themes to answer the research questions. Findings indicated that effort expectancy was the strongest determinant of behavioral intentions among non-users, largely due to limited digital literacy and low confidence using telehealth platforms. Performance expectancy influenced both attitudes toward telehealth and actual use. Implications for positive social change include improving platform usability, strengthening support for digital literacy, and implementing culturally responsive outreach to increase engagement, build trust, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk among Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

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