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BabyByte: Qualitative Research to Inform the Development of an App to Improve Responsive Feeding Practices in Parents
Amy R Mobley1, Danielle E Jake-Schoffman1, David A Fedele2
1Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Insights
Parents prefer mobile health app content on feeding tips, recipes, and child growth tracking to support responsive feeding. Preferences vary by gender and income, guiding future app development for childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Responsive feeding is linked to lower childhood obesity risk.
- Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer potential for improving feeding practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify parental preferences for mHealth app content and features.
- To inform the design of apps promoting responsive feeding.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using individual interviews with parents of 0-2-year-olds.
- Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews, informed by the Technology Acceptance Model.
- Comparison of preferences by parent gender and income level.
Main Results:
- Parents prioritized feeding tips, recipes, growth tracking, and goal-setting features.
- Fathers favored first foods, choking hazards, and nutrition; mothers preferred breastfeeding, picky eating, and portion sizes.
- Income influenced preferences, with lower-income parents seeking nutrition guidelines and breastfeeding info, while higher-income parents preferred allergy and picky eating information.
Conclusions:
- Parental preferences for mHealth app content are diverse and influenced by demographics.
- Tailoring app content to specific parental needs can enhance engagement and effectiveness.
- Findings provide crucial considerations for developing effective mHealth interventions for responsive feeding.
Abstract:
Responsive feeding is associated with a reduced risk of childhood obesity. The objective of this qualitative study was to determine parental preferences for mobile health (mHealth) app content and features designed to improve responsive feeding practices. Parents of 0-2-year-old children were interviewed individually. Interview questions were informed by the Technology Acceptance Model, and parents provided feedback on sample app content and features. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two researchers using thematic analysis; responses were compared by parent gender and income. Parents (n = 20 fathers, n = 20 mothers) were, on average, 33 years old, low-income (50%), identified as non-white (52.5%), and had a bachelor's degree or higher (62%). Overall, parents were most interested in feeding tips and recipe content, and app features that allowed tracking child growth and setting feeding goals. Fathers were most interested in content about first foods, choking hazards, and nutrition information, while mothers preferred content on breastfeeding, picky eating, and portion sizes. Parents with lower incomes were interested in nutrition guidelines, breastfeeding, and introducing solids. Non-low-income parents preferred information related to food allergies, portion sizes, and picky eating. The findings of this study provide considerations when developing mHealth apps to improve responsive feeding practices in parents.
