What Pregnant Women Want: Results from a Web-Based Needs Assessment of Weight-Related Information Gaps and e-Health Intervention Features for Pregnant Women in the U.S. (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Dahl ◽  
Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy ◽  
Sara Wilcox ◽  
Jihong Liu ◽  
Rachel E. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Prenatal Health ◽  
Related Information ◽  
The U.S

BACKGROUND Healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is critical for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes. Health care providers may not have the resources and specialized training to provide weight counseling to pregnant patients. Electronic health (e-health) interventions hold potential as important resources for pregnant women. OBJECTIVE This study identified weight-related knowledge and sources of prenatal health information and examined pregnant women’s feedback on features considered for inclusion in an e-health intervention targeted at preventing excessive GWG. METHODS Using social media sites, pregnant women in the U.S. who owned a smartphone were recruited to complete an online survey (n=329). The survey included questions regarding weight-related topics discussed with prenatal health providers, uses of technology for health information during pregnancy, interest in pregnancy weight-related information (e.g., physical activity), and features (e.g., weight tracking tool and podcasts) delivered electronically. ANCOVA and chi-square analyses were used to examine differences by parity and weight status. RESULTS Half of participants reported having no discussion about GWG recommendations with providers. Overall, interest in weight tracking, podcasts, and group-based behavioral challenges was high. Multiparous women expressed less interest in listening to weekly podcasts on pregnancy-related topics than nulliparous women (66.7% vs. 80.3%, p<0.01). Overweight/obese participants were more interested in a mobile app for communicating with other pregnant women than normal weight participants (86.5% vs. 77.3%; p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Given the interest in e-health interventions among pregnant women, future studies should examine their effectiveness in the prevention of excessive GWG. Tailoring e-health intervention content based on parity and weight status may be necessary. CLINICALTRIAL NCT03063528

scholarly journals Online Pregnancy-Related Information: Reliability and Worries Among Expectant Women In Qatar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Al-Dahshan ◽  
Mohamad Chehab ◽  
Nagah Selim
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Related Information ◽  
University Degree ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Abstract Background: Although the internet can be a source of reassurance and clarification for expectant women, it ‎could cause concerns or feelings of worry when reading about pregnancy-related ‎information. The current research sought to assess the feelings of worry and perceived reliability towards online pregnancy-related information and the associated factors among expectant women attending antenatal clinics at primary healthcare centers in Qatar.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. The participants were recruited through a systematic random sampling technique. ‎A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used when appropriate‎.Results: A total of 327 expecting women completed the questionnaire. Most participants were aged between 26-34 years (74.1%), held a college/university degree (76.4%), and multigravidas (73.1%). About one-third of the women ‎(31.2‎%) reported feeling worried due to something they read online. The participants coped with these feelings by consulting their antenatal care provider at the next appointment (51.0%) or by talking with relatives and friends (47.0%). Furthermore, most women (79.2%) considered online pregnancy-related information to be reliable or highly reliable. Holding a college/university degree, primigravidae, and having no children were factors significantly associated with a high perception of reliability of online health information.Conclusion: Although online pregnancy information caused feelings of worry for some pregnant ‎women, most women perceived such information to be reliable. Thus, antenatal care providers should be equipped to guide pregnant women on how to access high-quality web-based information.

scholarly journals Health Information Seeking Behaviors on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Social Networking Site Users: Survey Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Neely ◽  
Christina Eldredge ◽  
Ron Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Health Consumers

BACKGROUND In recent years, medical journals have emphasized the increasingly critical role that social media plays in the dissemination of public health information and disease prevention guidelines. However, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter continue to pose unique challenges for clinical health care providers and public health officials alike. In order to effectively communicate during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is increasingly critical for health care providers and public health officials to understand how patients gather health-related information on the internet and adjudicate the merits of such information. OBJECTIVE With that goal in mind, we conducted a survey of 1003 US-based adults to better understand how health consumers have used social media to learn and stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent to which they have relied on credible scientific information sources, and how they have gone about fact-checking pandemic-related information. METHODS A web-based survey was conducted with a sample that was purchased through an industry-leading market research provider. The results were reported with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 3. Participants included 1003 US-based adults (aged ≥18 years). Participants were selected via a stratified quota sampling approach to ensure that the sample was representative of the US population. Balanced quotas were determined (by region of the country) for gender, age, race, and ethnicity. RESULTS The results showed a heavy reliance on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic; more than three-quarters of respondents (762/1003, 76%) reported that they have relied on social media at least “a little,” and 59.2% (594/1003) of respondents indicated that they read information about COVID-19 on social media at least once per week. According to the findings, most social media users (638/1003, 63.6%) were unlikely to fact-check what they see on the internet with a health professional, despite the high levels of mistrust in the accuracy of COVID-19–related information on social media. We also found a greater likelihood of undergoing vaccination among those following more credible scientific sources on social media during the pandemic (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>16</sub>=50.790; <i>φ</i>=0.258; <i>P</i><.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that health professionals will need to be both strategic and proactive when engaging with health consumers on social media if they hope to counteract the deleterious effects of misinformation and disinformation. Effective training, institutional support, and proactive collaboration can help health professionals adapt to the evolving patterns of health information seeking.

scholarly journals Using Text Messaging to Improve Access to Prenatal Health Information in Urban African American and Afro-Caribbean Immigrant Pregnant Women: Mixed Methods Analysis of Text4baby Usage

10.2196/14737 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e14737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tenya M Blackwell ◽  
LeConte J Dill ◽  
Lori A Hoepner ◽  
Laura A Geer
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
African American ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Behavioral Intent ◽  
Prenatal Health ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
Prenatal Health Care

Background The Text4baby (T4B) mobile health (mHealth) program is acclaimed to provide pregnant women with greater access to prenatal health care, resources, and information. However, little is known about whether urban African American and Afro-Caribbean immigrant pregnant women in the United States are receptive users of innovative health communication methods or of the cultural and systematic barriers that inhibit their behavioral intent to use T4B. Objective This study aimed to understand the lived experiences of urban African American and Afro-Caribbean immigrant pregnant women with accessing quality prenatal health care and health information; to assess usage of mHealth for seeking prenatal health information; and to measure changes in participants’ knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intent to use the T4B mHealth educational intervention. Methods An exploratory sequential mixed methods study was conducted among pregnant women and clinical professionals for a phenomenological exploration with focus groups, key informants, interviews, and observations. Qualitative themes were aligned with behavioral and information technology communications theoretical constructs to develop a survey instrument used. repeated-measures pre- and post-test design to evaluate changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, of mHealth and T4B after a minimum of 4 weeks’ exposure to the text message–based intervention. Triangulation and mixing of both qualitative and quantitative data occurred primarily during the survey development and also during final analysis. Results A total of 9 women participated in phase 1, and 49 patients signed up for T4B and completed a 31-item survey at baseline and again during follow-up. Three themes were identified: (1) patient-provider engagement, (2) social support, and (3) acculturation. With time as a barrier to quality care, inadequate patient-provider engagement left participants feeling indifferent about the prenatal care and information they received in the clinical setting. Of 49 survey participants, 63% (31/49) strongly agreed that T4B would provide them with extra support during their pregnancy. On a Likert scale of 1 to 5, participants’ perception of the usefulness of T4B ranked at 4.26, and their perception of the compatibility and relative advantage of using T4B ranked at 4.41 and 4.15, respectively. At follow-up, there was a 14% increase in participants reporting their intent to use T4B and a 28% increase from pretest and posttest in pregnant women strongly agreeing to speak more with their doctor about the information learned through T4B. Conclusions Urban African American and Afro-Caribbean immigrant pregnant women in Brooklyn endure a number of social and ecological determinants like low health literacy, income, and language that serve as barriers to accessing quality prenatal health care and information, which negatively impacts prenatal health behaviors and outcomes. Our study indicates a number of systematic, political, and other microsystem-level factors that perpetuate health inequities in our study population.

scholarly journals Black American and Latinx Parent/Caregiver Participation in Digital Health Obesity Interventions for Children: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sanchez-Flack ◽  
Joanna Buscemi ◽  
Alexander O'Donnell ◽  
Margaret H. Clark Withington ◽  
Marian Fitzgibbon
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Obesity Prevention ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Black American ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Prevention Interventions

Parents/caregivers are consistently described as integral targets given their influential role in supporting and managing behaviors such as diet and physical activity. Identifying effective obesity prevention interventions to enhance and sustain parent participation is needed. Digital obesity prevention interventions are a promising strategy to improve parent/caregiver participation. Digital health interventions demonstrate acceptable participation and retention among parents/caregivers. However, our understanding of digital obesity prevention interventions targeting Black American and Latinx parents/caregivers is limited. This systematic review aims to identify Black American and Latinx parents'/caregivers' level of participation in digital obesity prevention and treatment interventions and determine the relationship between parent/caregiver participation and behavioral and weight status outcomes. This review adheres to PRISMA guidelines and is registered in PROSPERO. Eligibility criteria include: intervention delivered by digital technology, targeted Black American and Latinx parents/caregivers of young children (2–12 years), reported parent/caregiver participation outcomes, targeted diet or physical activity behaviors, and randomized controlled trial study design. Searches were conducted in September 2020 in ERIC, PsychInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science. Initial searches returned 499 results. Four reviewers screened records against eligibility criteria and 12 studies met inclusion criteria. Across all studies, parent/caregiver participation ranged from low to high. Only half of the included studies reported significant improvements in behavioral or weight status outcomes for parents/caregivers and/or children. Of these studies, three reported high parental/caregiver participation rates, and three reported high satisfaction rates. These findings suggest that participation and satisfaction may impact behavior change and weight status. The small number of studies indicates that additional research is needed to determine whether engagement or other factors predict responsiveness to the digital health intervention. Our results lay the groundwork for developing and testing future digital health interventions with the explicit goal of parental/caregiver participation and considers the need to expand our digital health intervention research methodologies to address obesity inequities among diverse families better.

scholarly journals Why do HIV-positive pregnant women discontinue with comprehensive PMTCT services? A qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Putu Emy Suryanti ◽  
Komang Ayu Kartika Sari ◽  
Pande Putu Januraga ◽  
Dinar Lubis
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Pmtct Program ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Mother To Child Transmission ◽  
Child Transmission ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Mother To Child

AbstractBackground and purpose: Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) is a government program aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. A comprehensive PMTCT program involves the implementation of HIV testing up to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for mothers with positive HIV test results. Coverage of comprehensive PMTCT remains low, with many HIV-positive pregnant women who discontinued ARV treatment. This study aims to explore the reasons of HIV-positive pregnant women to discontinue with the comprehensive PMTCT program.Methods: A qualitative study was carried out in Badung District, Bali Province, with seven respondents: one HIV-positive pregnant woman who did not continue the ARV treatment, two HIV-positive women who gave birth the previous year and did not take ARV, three public health centre (PHC) providers, and one head of PHC. Respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. The results presented narratively to illustrate the reasons why HIV-positive pregnant women discontinued with the comprehensive PMTCT program.Results: The emerging themes related to the reasons of HIV-positive pregnant women discontinued with the comprehensive PMTCT program included the lack of comprehensive PMTCT-related information, the lack of health provider assistance, and the high stigma towards people living with HIV (PLHIV). These barriers were affecting the willingness of HIV-positive pregnant women to continue with the program.Conclusions: Lack of comprehensive PMTCT-related information, lack of assistance by health care providers, and high public stigma impacts upon HIV-positive pregnant women’s willingness to continue with comprehensive PMTCT program. There is a need for a minimum service standard in the implementation of comprehensive PMTCT services and comprehensive information on HIV infection in order to reduce the stigma towards PLHIV.

scholarly journals Online Antenatal Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Challenges

10.2196/19916 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e19916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huailiang Wu ◽  
Weiwei Sun ◽  
Xinyu Huang ◽  
Shinning Yu ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Related Information ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Obstetric Care Providers

People across the world have been greatly affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The high infection risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in hospitals is particularly problematic for recently delivered mothers and currently pregnant women who require professional antenatal care. Online antenatal care would be a preferable alternative for these women since it can provide pregnancy-related information and remote clinic consultations. In addition, online antenatal care may help to provide relatively economical medical services and diminish health care inequality due to its convenience and cost-effectiveness, especially in developing countries or regions. However, some pregnant women will doubt the reliability of such online information. Therefore, it is important to ensure the quality and safety of online services and establish a stable, mutual trust between the pregnant women, the obstetric care providers and the technology vis-a-vis the online programs. Here, we report how the COVID-19 pandemic brings not only opportunities for the development and popularization of online antenatal care programs but also challenges.

The Quality of Web Sites' Health Information on Minimal Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum Using the DISCERN Instrument

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wietse P. Zuidema ◽  
Maarten J. Graumans ◽  
Jan W. A. Oosterhuis ◽  
Alida F. W. van der Steeg ◽  
Ernest van Heurn
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Pectus Excavatum ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Related Information

Abstract Introduction The Internet is a frequently used tool for patients with pectus excavatum (PE) to get information about symptoms and treatment options. In addition, it is used by both health care providers as a marketing tool and support group systems. The Internet health information varies in precision, quality, and reliability. The study purpose was to determine the quality of information on the PE Web sites using the DISCERN instrument, including information about operation and potential complications after a Nuss bar procedure. Materials and Methods Four search engines, Google, Yahoo, Ask, and Bing, were used to explore seven key terms concerning PE. Search language was English. The DISCERN quality instrument was used to evaluate the Web sites. Also, information on possible complications was scored per Web site. Results A total of 560 Web sites were assessed in March 2019. Excluded were 139 Web sites. There were 333 duplicates, leaving 88 unique Web sites. Of these, 58.1% were hospital-related information Web sites, 28.4% medical information Web sites, and 3.4% patient forum sites. Interactive multimedia was used on 21.6% of the sites. Pain postoperatively was mentioned on 64.8% of the sites, while only 9.1% mentioned the mortality risk of the surgical correction of PE for Nuss bar placement. The quality of the unique Web sites showed a mean DISCERN score of 42.5 (standard deviation 12.2). Medical information Web sites, encyclopedia, and government-sponsored sites had higher DISCERN scores. Hospital-related information sites, medical companies, and lay persons' sites, had lower total scores. Conclusion The overall quality of PE Web sites is low to moderate, with serious shortcomings.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Patient Portal Use Among Low-Income Pregnant Women: Mixed-Methods Pilot Study (Preprint)

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhee Kim ◽  
Holly Mathews ◽  
Lindsay M Cortright ◽  
Xiaoming Zeng ◽  
Edward Newton
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Prenatal Health

BACKGROUND Patient portals offer patients personalized and secure Web access to their medical information and enable patients to manage their health care online. However, there is a lack of information about patient acceptance and use of patient portals among low-income pregnant women. OBJECTIVE This formative research aims to assess the potential of a patient portal, MyChart, for improving prenatal health care and pregnancy outcomes, and identify the barriers and facilitators of MyChart use among low-income pregnant women. METHODS A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 low-income pregnant women comprising low- and high-risk patients enrolled in a prenatal clinic in eastern North Carolina. MyChart use, patient demographics, and pregnancy information were collected by reviewing electronic medical charts. Health literacy was measured. Reported use and attitudes toward MyChart were collected using a semi-structured interview. RESULTS Although 39% (7/18) of participants interviewed signed up for MyChart, only 22% (4/18) of them became active users. Another 33% (6/18) had never heard of MyChart or was unsure of how to access it. Users primarily accessed test results and appointment schedules. The main facilitating factors for patient portal use were information and motivation from health care providers and concerns about pregnancy due to a history of miscarriage. Reported barriers were lack of educational resources, lack of care provider encouragement, and technical difficulties possibly exacerbated by low health literacy. Participants also suggested improvements for MyChart, especially the provision of discussion-based support for pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS The one-time verbal introduction of MyChart does not meet current patients’ needs. Data reveal the need for more consistent patient education and support programs, tailored to patients’ previous pregnancy histories. The clinic also needs to facilitate better provider-patient communication about the importance of MyChart use.

scholarly journals Health Literacy, Information Seeking Patterns and Perceived Outcomes among Pregnant Women in Two Districts of Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Columba Mbekenga ◽  
Reuben Mutagaywa ◽  
Edda Tandi Lwoga
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
High Level

Abstract BackgroundPregnant women that engage in information seeking process are more likely to have a high level of knowledge about their health, be confident to discuss their health concerns with their health care providers and report better health promotion activities than individuals who do not seek health information. However, health literacy influence pregnant women’s information seeking behaviours and consequently their health knowledge and health outcomes. Limited studies have explored the effects of health literacy on the outcomes associated with the information seeking among pregnant women in Tanzania. This study investigates the relationship between health literacy and information seeking patterns and its associated outcomes among pregnant women in Tanzania. MethodsA cross- sectional survey was conducted among 260 pregnant women aged 18 and above attending selected antenatal clinics (ANC) in Tanzania. Health literacy was assessed using a REALM-SF instrument while information seeking patterns while the associated outcomes were measured using three Likert scales. Descriptive and analytic analyzes were performed using the SPSS, version 24.ResultsAmong the demographic factors, level of education was significantly associated with the level of health literacy (p<0.001). The level of health literacy was better among married pregnant women than those who were not married, and among those who have high income more than those with low-income. The number of ANC visits, gestational age and parity were significantly associated with the level of health literacy (p<0.05). A significant relationship was found between health literacy with seeking health information from village leaders (p < 0.0001) and all online information sources (p < 0.05). Pregnant women with high level of health literacy strongly agree to confirm (from health professionals) the validity of health information they receive from different sources and to recommend the importance of searching health information to others (p<0.001).ConclusionHealth literacy has great influence on maternal health behaviors and the associated outcomes. Maternal health interventions targeting both individual women and the public to ensure high health literacy levels across communities are required. An integration of online/ web-based health information in ANC health educational packages would warrant pregnant women access to high quality health information.

scholarly journals Multidisciplinary Smartphone-Based Interventions to Empower Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: Qualitative Study on Health Care Providers’ Perspectives (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazli Bashi ◽  
Hamed Hassanzadeh ◽  
Marlien Varnfield ◽  
Yong Wee ◽  
Darren Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Discharge From Hospital

BACKGROUND Postdischarge interventions are limited in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to few scheduled visits to outpatient clinics and travel from remote areas. Smartphones have become a viable lifestyle technology to deliver educational and health interventions following discharge from hospital. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify the requirements for the delivery of a mobile health intervention for the postdischarge management of patients with ACS via a multidisciplinary focus group. METHODS We conducted a focus group among health care professionals (n=10) from a large metropolitan hospital in May 2017. These participants from a multidisciplinary team contributed to a 1-hour discussion by responding to 8 questions relating to the applicability of smartphone-based educational and health interventions. Descriptive statistics of the focus group data were analyzed using SPSS. The qualitative data were analyzed according to relevant themes extracted from the focus group transcription, using a qualitative description software program (NVivo 11) and an ontology-based concept mapping approach. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 47 (SD 8) years: 3 cardiologists; 2 nurse practitioners; 2 clinical nurses; 2 research scientists; and 1 physiotherapist. Of these participants, 70% (7/10) had experience using electronic health intervention during their professional practice. A total of 7 major themes and their subthemes emerged from the qualitative analysis. Health care providers indicated that comprehensive education on diet, particularly providing daily meal plans, is critical for patients with ACS. In terms of ACS symptoms, a strong recommendation was to focus on educating patients instead of daily monitoring of chest pain and shortness of breathing due to subjectivity and insufficient information for clinicians. Participants pointed that monitoring health measures such as blood pressure and body weight may result in increased awareness of patient physical health, yet may not be sufficient to support patients with ACS via the smartphone-based intervention. Therefore, monitoring pain and emotional status along with other health measures was recommended. Real-time support via FaceTime or video conferencing was indicated as motivational and supportive for patient engagement and self-monitoring. The general demographics of patients with ACS being older, having a low educational level, and a lack of computer skills were identified as potential barriers for engagement with the smartphone-based intervention. CONCLUSIONS A smartphone-based program that incorporates the identified educational materials and health interventions would motivate patients with ACS to engage in the multidisciplinary intervention and improve their health outcomes following discharge from hospital.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document