Stakeholder Perceptions of Digital Nutrition Education Modules on Infant Feeding in Home Visiting Programs

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Home visiting programs are crucial for maternal and child health.
• Digital health tools offer potential to enhance educational delivery in home settings.
• Infant feeding practices significantly impact child development and long-term health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the usability and acceptability of a novel digital infant feeding module.
• To evaluate the module's suitability for integration into existing home visiting services.
• To identify potential barriers and facilitators for the module's adoption.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with home visitors (n=11) and mothers (n=10) while they interacted with the module.
• Quantitative data on usability were collected using the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire.
• Inductive thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Ninety percent of participants expressed high likelihood of using the digital module.
• High usability scores were reported for ease of use (6.9/7), interface/satisfaction (6.9/7), and usefulness (6.8/7).
• Key barriers included technology access and mobile phone compatibility issues.

Conclusions:

• The digital infant feeding module demonstrates strong usability and acceptability among home visiting stakeholders.
• Further research is warranted to examine the module's impact on parental feeding behaviors and child health outcomes.
• Digital educational tools show promise for supporting evidence-based infant nutrition guidance in community health programs.