Exploring the Potential of a Behavior Theory-Informed Digital Intervention for Infant Fall Prevention: Mixed Methods...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric injury prevention
• Digital health interventions
• Behavioral science in public health

Background:

• Falls are the leading cause of hospitalization for infants under one year old.
• Existing prevention strategies lack targeted interventions for this age group.
• Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) offer a potential avenue for caregiver behavior modification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a user-centered, behavior theory-informed digital intervention for infant fall prevention.
• To assess the intervention's impact on behavioral drivers related to infant fall risk.
• To examine user experience, acceptability, and engagement with the DBCI.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post longitudinal study involving 62 parents of infants under one year old.
• Participants used the digital intervention for three months.
• Data collected included fall risk reduction potential, behavioral drivers, user acceptability, and engagement, supplemented by qualitative interviews.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in the potential to reduce infant falls was observed post-intervention, with a greater effect noted in new parents.
• Parents confirmed the intervention effectively targeted key behavioral drivers for fall prevention.
• The digital intervention demonstrated high user acceptability and positive engagement.

Conclusions:

• The developed digital intervention shows potential for reducing infant falls, particularly benefiting new parents.
• The DBCI positively influenced parental behaviors crucial for infant fall prevention.
• High acceptability and user feedback provide a foundation for refining the intervention.