Participants' Engagement and Satisfaction With a Smartphone App Intended to Support Healthy Weight Gain, Diet, and Physical Activity During Pregnancy: Qualitative Study Within the HealthyMoms Trial.

Pontus Henriksson, Emmie Söderström, Johanna Sandborg, Erica Larsen, Anna-Karin Lindqvist, Stina Rutberg, Ralph Maddison, Marie Löf

Journal: JMIR mHealth and uHealth 2021;9(3):e26159

PMID: 33666554

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Plain Language Summary

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with poorer health outcomes in both the mother and the child. Previous studies have shown benefits in preventing weight gain with the use of mobile health programmes (mHealth) in both adults and pregnant women. However few studies have assessed user engagement and satisfaction with these programmes. This study aimed to report the engagement and satisfaction of 19 women using the HealthyMoms app, which was designed to improve activity levels of women during pregnancy and tested in a 6-month randomised control trial. The results showed that a trustworthy and appreciated mHealth could ensure a healthy approach to pregnancy and that the app improved knowledge and awareness and helped to maintain healthy habits. It was concluded that the HealthyMoms app was both valuable and trustworthy, and could help to maintain healthy pregnancy habits and prevent gestational weight gain.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is common and associated with negative health outcomes for both mother and child. Mobile health-delivered lifestyle interventions offer the potential to mitigate excessive GWG. The effectiveness of a smartphone app (HealthyMoms) was recently evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. To explore the users' experiences of using the app, a qualitative study within the HealthyMoms trial was performed.

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study explored participants' engagement and satisfaction with the 6-month usage of the HealthyMoms app.

METHODS

A total of 19 women (mean age: 31.7, SD 4.4 years; mean BMI: 24.6, SD 3.4 kg/m; university degree attainment: 13/19, 68%; primiparous: 11/19, 58%) who received the HealthyMoms app in a randomized controlled trial completed semistructured exit interviews. The interviews were audiorecorded and fully transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis revealed a main theme and 2 subthemes. The main theme, "One could suit many: a multifunctional tool to strengthen women's health during pregnancy," and the 2 subthemes, "Factors within and beyond the app influence app engagement" and "Trust, knowledge, and awareness: aspects that can motivate healthy habits," illustrated that a trustworthy and appreciated health and pregnancy app that is easy to use can inspire a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. The first subtheme discussed how factors within the app (eg, regular updates and feedback) were perceived to motivate both healthy habits and app engagement. Additionally, factors beyond the app were described to both motivate (eg, interest, motivation, and curiosity) and limit (eg, pregnancy-related complications, lack of time) app engagement. The second subtheme reflected important aspects, such as high trustworthiness of the app, increased knowledge, and awareness from using the app, which motivated participants to improve or maintain healthy habits during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The HealthyMoms app was considered a valuable and trustworthy tool to mitigate excessive GWG, with useful features and relevant information to initiate and maintain healthy habits during pregnancy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03298555; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03298555.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/13011.

©Johanna Sandborg, Pontus Henriksson, Erica Larsen, Anna-Karin Lindqvist, Stina Rutberg, Emmie Söderström, Ralph Maddison, Marie Löf. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 05.03.2021.

Address: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.; Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.; Division of Health, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.; Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Australia.

DOI: 10.2196/26159