Risky Business: Increasing Fertility Knowledge of Men in the General Public Using the Mobile Health Application...

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Public Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Male infertility is a significant public health issue, impacting many men who desire fatherhood.
• Increased awareness of male infertility risk factors is crucial for proactive reproductive health management.
• Existing methods for disseminating fertility information to men may be insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile health application, "Infotility XY", in increasing men's knowledge of infertility risk factors.
• To determine if changes in fertility knowledge were associated with participant demographics or app usage patterns.
• To assess the feasibility of using mHealth technology to promote male reproductive health.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-intervention study design was employed.
• Participants (n=49, males aged 18-45) used the "Infotility XY" mHealth app for two weeks.
• Fertility knowledge was assessed before and after app usage; app engagement data were collected.

Main Results:

• 96% of participants reported increased fertility knowledge after using the app.
• Awareness of infertility risk factors rose from 55% pre-intervention to 96% post-intervention.
• Men correctly identified significantly more risk factors post-intervention (t(48) = 8.28, p < .001).

Conclusions:

• The mHealth app "Infotility XY" is a feasible tool for enhancing men's awareness of infertility risk factors.
• Increased knowledge of male infertility risks may contribute to improved overall male health.
• Further research can explore the long-term impact and scalability of such digital health interventions.