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Comparison of methods for recruiting and engaging parents in online interventions: study protocol for the Cry Baby
Fallon Cook1,2, Monique Seymour3,4, Rebecca Giallo5,6
1Parenting Research Centre, 5/232 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, 3002, VIC, Australia. fallon.cook@mcri.edu.au.
Insights
Weekly email prompts and health professional encouragement may improve parent engagement with online infant sleep and crying programs. This study investigated strategies to enhance parental use of digital health interventions for better infant behavior and maternal well-being.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health Interventions
- Infant Behavioral Health
- Parental Mental Health
Background:
- Online parenting advice for infant sleep and crying can improve infant behavior and reduce maternal postnatal depression.
- Limited understanding exists regarding who accesses online parenting resources and if those most in need are reached.
- The effectiveness of health professional recommendations and reminders in promoting uptake of online programs is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if weekly email prompts increase engagement with an online infant sleep and crying program.
- To assess if maternal and child health nurse encouragement enhances program engagement.
- To examine user demographics and psychosocial characteristics of participants in an online parenting program.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, parallel-group superiority trial involving primary carers of infants aged 2–12 weeks.
- Comparison of recruitment strategies: online notice versus Maternal and Child Health nurse referral.
- Randomization to either the online program alone or the program with weekly email prompts, with follow-up at 4 months.
Main Results:
- Analysis of results will indicate the effectiveness of health professional involvement and email contact in engaging parents.
- The study will provide insights into parental usage patterns and the impact of different support strategies.
- Findings will inform the development of engagement strategies for future online health interventions.
Conclusions:
- Results will guide the necessity of health professional involvement and ongoing email contact for online intervention success.
- This trial will inform the development of recruitment and engagement strategies for digital health programs.
- Understanding user engagement is crucial for optimizing the reach and impact of online parenting support.
Background:
Anticipatory guidance around the management of sleep and crying problems in early infancy has been shown to improve both infant behaviour and parent symptoms of postnatal depression. Digital technology offers platforms for making such programs widely available in a cost-efficient manner. However, it remains unclear who accesses online parenting advice and in particular, whether the parents who would most benefit are represented amongst users. It is also unknown whether the uptake of online programs can be improved by health professional recommendations, or whether parents require additional prompts and reminders to use the program. In this study we aim to: (1) determine whether weekly email prompts increase engagement with and use of a brief online program about infant sleeping and crying, (2) determine whether encouragement from a maternal and child health nurse promotes greater engagement with and use of the program, (3) examine who uses a brief online program about infant sleeping and crying; and, (4) examine the psychosocial characteristics of participants.
Methods/Design:
This study is a randomised, parallel group, superiority trial, with all participating primary carers of infants aged 2 to 12 weeks, receiving access to the online program. Two modes of recruitment will be compared: recruitment via an online notice published on a non-commercial, highly credible and evidence-based website for parents and carers and via the parent's Maternal and Child Health nurse. After baseline assessment, parents will be randomised to one of two support conditions: online program alone or online program plus weekly email prompts. Follow up data will be collected at 4 months of infant age.
Discussion:
Results from this trial will indicate whether involvement from a health professional, and/or ongoing email contact is necessary to engage parents in a brief online intervention, and promote parental use of strategies suggested within the program. Results of this trial will inform the development of recruitment and engagement strategies for other online interventions.
Trial Registration:
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613001098729. Registered 01 October 2013.
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