10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.C.6294526
Sara Balderas-Díaz
Sara
Balderas-Díaz
0000-0003-1998-5826
University of Cádiz
María José Rodríguez-Fórtiz
María José
Rodríguez-Fórtiz
University of Granada
José Luis Garrido
José Luis
Garrido
University of Granada
Mercedes Bellido-González
Mercedes
Bellido-González
Gabriel Guerrero-Contreras
Gabriel
Guerrero-Contreras
University of Cádiz
A psycho-educational intervention programme for parents with SGA foetuses supported by an adaptive mHealth system: design, proof of concept and usability assessment
Abstract Background Technology-based approaches during pregnancy can facilitate the self-reporting of emotional health issues and improve well-being. There is evidence to suggest that stress during pregnancy can affect the foetus and result in restricted growth and preterm birth. Although a number of mobile health (mHealth) approaches are designed to monitor pregnancy and provide information about a specific aspect, no proposal specifically addresses the interventions in parents at risk of having small-for-gestational-age (SGA) or premature babies. Very few studies, however, follow any design and usability guidelines which aim to ensure end-user satisfaction when using these systems. Results We have developed an interactive, adaptable mHealth system to support a psycho-educational intervention programme for parents with SGA foetuses. The relevant results include a metamodel to support the task of modelling current or new intervention programmes, an mHealth system model with runtime adaptation to changes in the programme, the design of a usable app (called VivEmbarazo) and an architectural design and prototype implementation. The developed mHealth system has also enabled us to conduct a proof of concept based on the use of the mHealth systems and this includes data analysis and assesses usability and acceptance. Conclusions The proof of concept confirms that parents are satisfied and that they are enthusiastic about the mHealth-supported intervention programme. It helps to technically validate the results obtained in the other stages relating to the development of the solution. The data analysis resulting from the proof of concept confirms that the stress experienced by parents who followed the mHealth-supported intervention programme was significantly lower than among those who did not follow it. This implies an improvement in the emotional health not only of the parents but also of their child. In fact, the babies of couples who followed the mHealth-supported programme weigh more than the babies of couples under traditional care. In terms of user acceptance and usability, the analysis confirms that mothers place greater value on the app design, usefulness and ease of use and are generally more satisfied than their partners. Although these results are promising in comparison with more traditional and other more recent technology-based approaches.
Information Systems
figshare
2022
2022-11-11
2022-11-11
Collection
10.1186/s12911-022-02036-9
CC BY 4.0