Title : Data management for community health programmes in urban settings: Do the prevailing environmental conditions matter?

Data from community health programmes are essential in informing crucial decisions that shape how such programmes are introduced, evolve, and remain relevant. However, the management of these data is influenced by dominant environmental factors, which shape their quality and the resulting outcomes. This paper investigates the moderating influence of environmental factors on the relationship between data management practices and the sustainability of community health programmes in urban settings. A positivist paradigm with a descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect quantitative data from 157 community health promoters, who serve as primary data handlers for these programmes in Nairobi, Kenya urban setting. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data. This study confirms a statistically significant positive relationship between data management practices and the sustainability of community health programmes (β = 0.696, t = 6.499, p = 0.000, f² = 0.940). Further, the study confirms that environmental factors have a statistically significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between data management practices and the sustainability of community health programmes (β = –0.173, t = 2.796, p = 0.005). Thus, in settings with poor physical infrastructure, inadequate data management policies, and unsupportive sociocultural and economic conditions, sustaining data management practices for community health programmes is crucial. This study highlights the critical role of data in sustaining community health programmes and urges policymakers and programme implementers to consider context-specific environmental factors in their design and implementation. 

Keywords: Sustainability, Community Health, Data Management, Environmental conditions, Urban Settings, Nairobi, Kenya  

Margaret Kabue is a research administrator at the Institute for Human Development at Aga Khan University. She has a background in program management, research, and advocacy. She currently supports research administration, partnership building, and community engagement among other roles at the institute. She previously worked with ActionAid, KANCO, and Plan International in a similar role, with a keen focus on advocacy for access to healthcare, women empowerment, and early childhood development.  She holds a Master of Arts in Project Planning and Management and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Linguistics, both from the University of Nairobi. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Project Management at the same university, researching community health data management and the sustainability of community health programs. She has a keen interest in health system strengthening, leadership development, and early child development.