Behavioral Change Intervention to Promote a Healthier Postpartum Lifestyle: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• mHealth Interventions
• Postpartum Care

Background:

• New mothers often lack resources for maintaining healthy lifestyles post-childbirth.
• Mobile health (mHealth) applications offer a potential solution to provide support and motivation.
• The Healthy Together module was developed within the My Hospital mHealth app, featuring podcasts, weight tracking, and exercise videos.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utilization of the Healthy Together behavioral intervention by postpartum women.
• To assess mothers' experiences and attitudes regarding the use of this mHealth intervention.
• To determine the feasibility of Healthy Together in supporting postpartum healthy lifestyles.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods pilot study involving 34 postpartum women (3 weeks to 6 months postpartum).
• Data collection included app activity logs, questionnaires (28 respondents), and semi-structured online interviews (18 participants).
• Analysis of app usage patterns, user feedback, and demographic/health data (e.g., BMI).

Main Results:

• Participants accessed the Healthy Together module an average of 37 times, with push notifications and podcasts being the most used features (65%).
• 70% of respondents had used the app, with half reporting a positive influence on their health; 70% would recommend it.
• Users were more likely to be physically active and have healthier pre-pregnancy diets compared to non-users; 33% experienced technical issues.

Conclusions:

• The Healthy Together mHealth intervention appears to be a feasible tool for enhancing postpartum healthy lifestyles.
• Podcasts were a preferred information channel, and push notifications had mixed motivational effects.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate these findings.