Mobile apps for self-management in pregnancy: a systematic review

Iyawa, Gloria Ejehiohen; Dansharif, Aliyu Rabiu; Khan, Asiya

doi:10.1007/s12553-021-00523-z

Cited by 22 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Mobile apps can enable pregnant women to take a more active role in self-care and disease management during pregnancy. Moreover, these apps can provide large amounts of patient-generated data during pregnancy for research purposes [ 17 , 18 ]. The Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score is an internationally validated tool for categorizing the severity of NVP based on 3 questions regarding vomiting, nausea, and retching symptoms [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of a Mobile Application for Tracking Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy (NVP) on NVP Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Decisional Conflict Regarding NVP Treatments: MinSafeStart Randomized Controlled Trial

Ngo¹,

Truong²,

Nordeng³

et al. 2022

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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Background Pregnant women are active users of mobile apps for health purposes. These apps may improve self-management of health-related conditions. Up to 70% of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting (NVP). Even mild NVP can significantly reduce quality of life (QoL), and it can become an economic burden for both the woman and society. NVP often occurs before the first maternal care visit; therefore, apps can potentially play an important role in empowering pregnant women to recognize, manage, and seek appropriate treatment for NVP, when required. Objective This study investigated whether the MinSafeStart (MSS) mobile app could impact NVP-related symptoms, QoL, and decisional conflict regarding NVP treatment. Methods This randomized controlled trial enrolled 268 pregnant women with NVP in Norway from 2019 to 2020. The intervention group had access to the MSS app, which could be used to track NVP symptoms and access tailored advice. NVP severity was rated with the Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score. The control group followed standard maternal care. We collected data on maternal baseline characteristics, NVP severity, QoL, and decisional conflict using 2 sets of online questionnaires. One set of questionnaires was completed at enrollment, and the other was completed after 2 weeks. We performed linear regression analyses to explore whether the use of the MSS app was associated with NVP severity, QoL, or decisional conflict. Results Among the 268 women enrolled in the study, 192 (86.5%) completed the baseline questionnaires and were randomized to either the intervention (n=89) or control group (n=103). In the intervention group, 88 women downloaded the app, and 468 logs were recorded. In both groups, women were enrolled at a median of 8 gestational weeks. At baseline, the average PUQE scores were 4.9 and 4.7; the average QoL scores were 146 and 149; and the average DCS scores were 40 and 43 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The app had no impact on NVP severity (aβ 0.6, 95% Cl −0.1 to 1.2), QoL (aβ −5.3, 95% Cl −12.5 to 1.9), or decisional conflict regarding NVP treatment (aβ −1.1, 95% Cl −6.2 to 4.2), compared with standard care. Conclusions Tracking NVP symptoms with the MSS app was not associated with improvements in NVP symptoms, QoL, or decisional conflict after 2 weeks, compared with standard care. Future studies should include a process evaluation to improve our understanding of how pregnant women use the app and how to optimize its utility within maternity care. Specifically, studies should focus on how digital tools might facilitate counseling and communication between pregnant women and health care providers regarding NVP management during pregnancy. Trial Registration ClinicalTrails.gov (NCT04719286): https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04719286

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of a Mobile Application for Tracking Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy (NVP) on NVP Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Decisional Conflict Regarding NVP Treatments: MinSafeStart Randomized Controlled Trial

Ngo¹,

Truong²,

Nordeng³

et al. 2022

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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“…mHealth apps have shown their effectiveness in self-management pregnancy and improving healthcare delivery [ 17 ]. Evidence suggests that the apps can provide audio guidance for PFMT [ 18 ] and reminders to improve motivation and adherence [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence suggests that the apps can provide audio guidance for PFMT [ 18 ] and reminders to improve motivation and adherence [ 18 ]. Furthermore, delivering pregnancy-related education and self-management using the mHealth app reported promising outcomes [ 17 ] and may be used for self-empowering among pregnant women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Effectiveness of mHealth App-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Training among Pregnant Women to Improve Their Exercise Adherence: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial

Jaffar

Sidik

Foo

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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This pilot randomised control trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of conducting a full-powered trial for a newly developed pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) app among pregnant women with urinary incontinence (UI) in Malaysia. This was a prospective, single-centre, single-blind, parallel, randomised controlled, pilot feasibility study—the Kegel Exercise Pregnancy Training app (KEPT app) trial. In total, 26 pregnant women with urinary incontinence from an urban healthcare clinic were recruited and randomly assigned to either intervention or waitlist control group. The intervention group received the KEPT app, while the control group received usual antenatal care (waitlist control). Of the 26 pregnant women, 16 (61.5%) completed the two-month follow-up. The recruitment rate was 54.2%, and the retention rate was 62.5% in the intervention group and 60% in the control group. There was a significant difference between intervention and control groups’ baseline measurement in the severity of UI (p = 0.031). The app improved their knowledge (p = 0.011) and self-efficacy (p = 0.038) after the first month and attitude (p = 0.034) after two months of intervention, compared with the control group. This study supports the feasibility of our future cluster RCT. The KEPT app demonstrates a promising effect in improving PFMT attitude and self-efficacy and potentially enhancing exercise adherence among pregnant women with UI. Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 19 February 2021 (NCT04762433).

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“…In recent years, various mHealth apps have been developed to support women throughout their pregnancy, which has proven to positively affect self-management ( 11 , 12 ). In fact, of all health topics, most health apps on the market relate to pregnancy ( 13 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating for 2: A Systematic Review of Dutch App Stores for Apps Promoting a Healthy Diet during Pregnancy

Faessen

Lucassen

Buso

et al. 2022

Current Developments in Nutrition

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A healthy diet during pregnancy has been associated with beneficial child and maternal health outcomes, but is challenging to achieve. Recent technological advances offer new opportunities to support pregnant women in their food choices, for instance via apps. This is already reflected by a wide availability of pregnancy-related apps, but health care professionals feel unsure about their potential. Therefore, the Dutch Google Play Store and Apple App Store were reviewed to identify existing apps on diet and pregnancy. App quality was assessed using the 1) Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) (i.e., assessing functionality, aesthetics, engagement, information quality), 2) Dutch dietary guidelines for pregnant women, and 3) App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS). 57 unique apps were identified with an average star rating of 4.2±0.6 and MARS quality score of 3.2±0.3, indicating a moderate quality. Most apps scored best in terms of functionality and aesthetics (4.0±0.4 and 3.3±0.6), but lowest in terms of engagement (2.5±0.6). Regarding nutrition information provision, most apps were incomplete or deviated from the Dutch guidelines. Folic acid supplementation (91%), hygiene (81%), caffeine (79%), and alcohol (77%) were most commonly addressed nutrition aspects, whereas liquorice (11%), iodine (19%), and soy (18%) were only addressed in a few apps. Moreover, a median of 2 out of 21 ABACUS behavior change items were identified per app, which were predominantly related to the category ‘knowledge and information’. Thus, despite the abundance of apps supporting a healthy diet during pregnancy in the Dutch app stores, there is an urgent need for apps with complete and scientifically sound dietary information that is supported by effective behavior change techniques.

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Mobile apps for self-management in pregnancy: a systematic review

Abstract: Health and TechnologySpringer (part of Springer Nature)

Cited by 22 publications

References 36 publications

Impact of a Mobile Application for Tracking Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy (NVP) on NVP Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Decisional Conflict Regarding NVP Treatments: MinSafeStart Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of a Mobile Application for Tracking Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy (NVP) on NVP Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Decisional Conflict Regarding NVP Treatments: MinSafeStart Randomized Controlled Trial

Preliminary Effectiveness of mHealth App-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Training among Pregnant Women to Improve Their Exercise Adherence: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial

Eating for 2: A Systematic Review of Dutch App Stores for Apps Promoting a Healthy Diet during Pregnancy

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