Evaluation of a Text Messaging Intervention to Support Self-Management of Diabetes During Pregnancy Among Low-Income, Minority Women: Qualitative Study

Implementation and evaluation of the centering pregnancy group prenatal care model in pregnant women with diabetes: a convergent parallel mixed methods study protocol

BACKGROUND

Diabetes during pregnancy has negative effects on both mothers and their fetuses. To improve perinatal outcomes and women's experience of care, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests implementing health system interventions to enhance the use and quality of antenatal care. The main goal of this study is to implement and evaluate the outcomes of the Centering Pregnancy group care model for pregnant women with diabetes.

METHODS/DESIGN

The study will consist of three phases: a quantitative phase, a qualitative phase, and a mixed phase. In the quantitative phase, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted on 100 pregnant women with diabetes receiving prenatal care in Tabriz City, Iran. The Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaire will also be validated in this phase. The qualitative phase will use qualitative content analysis with in-depth and semi-structured individual interviews to explore pregnant women's understanding of the impact of the Centering Pregnancy group care model on their care process. The mixed phase will focus on the degree and extent of convergence between quantitative and qualitative data.

DISCUSSION

The implementation of the Centering Pregnancy group care approach is anticipated to empower women in effectively managing their diabetes during pregnancy, resulting in improved outcomes for both mothers and newborns. Furthermore, adopting this approach has the potential to alleviate the financial burden of diabetes on healthcare system.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): (IRCT20120718010324N80/ Date of registration: 2024-01-03). URL: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/74206 .

Baseline Perceptions of Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Health Care Professionals About Digital Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Self-Management Health Care Technologies: Interview Study Among Patients and Health Care Professionals

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant medical complication of pregnancy that requires close monitoring by a multidisciplinary health care team. The growing sophistication of mobile health (mHealth) technology could play a significant supporting role for women with GDM and health professionals (HPs) regarding GDM management.

OBJECTIVE

This study included 2 phases. The aim of phase 1 was to explore the perceptions of HPs and women with GDM regarding the use of mHealth for GDM self-management and to identify their needs from these technologies. The aim of phase 2 was to explore the perceptions of women with GDM about their experiences with a state-of-the-art app for managing GDM that was offered to them during the COVID-19 lockdown. This phase aimed to understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on women's perceptions about using technology to manage their GDM. By combining both phases, the overall aim was to establish how perceptions about GDM self-management technology have changed owing to the pandemic restrictions and experience of using such technology.

METHODS

In total, 26 semistructured interviews were conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1, overall, 62% (16/26) of the participants, including 44% (7/16) of HPs, 50% (8/16) of women with GDM, and 6% (1/16) of women in the postpartum period with GDM history participated in the interviews. In phase 2, overall, 38% (10/26) of women with GDM participated in the interviews. NVivo (QSR International) was used to extract qualitative data, which were subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Phase 1 identified 3 themes from the interviews with women with GDM: fitting with women's lifestyle constraints, technology's design not meeting women's needs, and optimizing the technology's design to meet women's needs. Overall, 3 themes were derived from the interviews with HPs: optimizing the technology's design to improve the quality of care, technology to support women's independence, and limitations in the care system and facilities. Analysis of phase-2 interviews identified 2 further themes: enhancing the information and functionalities and optimizing the interface design. In both phases, participants emphasized a simple and user-friendly interface design as the predominant positive influence on their use of technology for GDM management.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined findings underlined similar points. Poor usability, data visualization limitations, lack of personalization, limited information, and lack of communication facilities were the prime issues of current GDM self-management mHealth technology that need to be addressed. The analysis also revealed how women with GDM should play a vital role in gathering the requirements for GDM self-management technology; some needs were identified from in-depth discussion with women with GDM that would be missed without their involvement.

Cranberry Supplements for Urinary Tract Infection Prophylaxis in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials and Observational Studies on Efficacy, Acceptability, Outcomes Measurement Methods, and Studies' Feasibility

Cranberry supplements are commonly used to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, their usefulness is uncertain in pregnant women. We aimed to comprehensively summarize the current knowledge on cranberry supplements' efficacy and acceptability during pregnancy in addition to the outcomes measurement methods and studies' feasibility. To achieve it, we searched PubMed, PMC, and Europe PMC databases plus screened citations followed by critical appraisal of included eligible English-written primary studies that (1) focused on pregnant women supplemented with any cranberry supplements; (2) provided data on cranberry supplements' efficacy, acceptability, outcomes measurement methods, and studies' feasibility; (3) included human subjects; and (4) published worldwide. Two randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and one nested cohort study, including 1156 pregnant women in total, contributed to our analysis. A tendency toward UTI reduction was demonstrated, although the results' validity was impacted by significant juice-induced gastrointestinal intolerance (23%; 44 of 188 subjects). Changing the form of supplementation from cranberry juice to capsules reduced the issue, causing side effects in one of 49 subjects (2%). Nevertheless, both RCTs still experienced significant recruitment and retention problems, which were at 33% and 59% on average, respectively. Newly acquired safety data on 919 more subjects suggests no increased risks of all malformations, vaginal bleeding, and neonatal complications. Investigating cranberry capsules' efficacy as a non-antibacterial option for UTI prevention in pregnant women has become a feasible and important direction with the current advancement in understanding cranberry supplements' actions, recommended doses plus regimens, and their safety in the population. We reviewed the challenges and discovered knowledge gaps and the implementation strategies for future studies.

Group vs Individual Prenatal Care and Gestational Diabetes Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

The impact of group-based prenatal care (GPNC) model in the US on the risk of gestational diabetes (GD) and related adverse obstetric outcomes is unknown.

Objective

To determine the effects of the GPNC model on risk of GD, its progression, and related adverse obstetric outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This is a single-site, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial conducted between February 2016 and March 2020 at a large health care system in Greenville, South Carolina. Participants were individuals aged 14 to 45 years with pregnancies earlier than 21 weeks' gestational age; follow-up continued to 8 weeks post partum. This study used an intention-to-treat analysis, and data were analyzed from March 2021 to July 2022.

Interventions

Eligible participants were randomized to receive either CenteringPregnancy, a widely used GPNC model, with 10 group-based sessions or traditional individual prenatal care (IPNC).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the incidence of GD diagnosed between 24 and 30 weeks of gestation. The secondary outcomes included progression to A2 GD (ie, GD treated with medications) and GD-related adverse obstetric outcomes (ie, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, and large for gestational age). Log binomial models were performed to estimate risk differences (RDs), 95% CIs, and P values between GPNC and IPNC groups, adjusting for all baseline covariates.

Results

Of all 2348 participants (mean [SD] age, 25.1 [5.4] years; 952 Black participants [40.5%]; 502 Hispanic participants [21.4%]; 863 White participants [36.8%]), 1176 participants were randomized to the GPNC group and 1174 were randomized to the IPNC group. Among all participants, 2144 (91.3%) completed a GD screening (1072 participants [91.3%] in GPNC vs 1071 [91.2%] in IPNC). Overall, 157 participants (6.7%) developed GD, and there was no difference in GD incidence between the GPNC (83 participants [7.1%]) and IPNC (74 participants [6.3%]) groups, with an adjusted RD of 0.7% (95% CI, -1.2% to 2.7%). Among participants with GD, GPNC did not reduce the risk of progression to A2 GD (adjusted RD, -6.1%; 95% CI, -21.3% to 9.1%), preeclampsia (adjusted RD, -7.9%; 95% CI, -17.8% to 1.9%), cesarean delivery (adjusted RD, -8.2%; 95% CI, -12.2% to 13.9%), and large for gestational age (adjusted RD, -1.2%; 95% CI, -6.1% to 3.8%) compared with IPNC.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial among medically low-risk pregnant individuals, the risk of GD was similar between participants who received GPNC intervention and traditional IPNC, indicating that GPNC may be a feasible treatment option for some patients.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02640638.

Effectiveness of mHealth consultation services for preventing postpartum depressive symptoms: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Although many conventional healthcare services to prevent postpartum depression are provided face-to-face, physical and psychosocial barriers remain. These barriers may be overcome by using mobile health services (mHealth). To examine the effectiveness of mHealth professional consultation services in preventing postpartum depressive symptoms in real-world settings, we conducted this randomized controlled trial in Japan, where universal free face-to-face perinatal care is available.

METHODS

This study included 734 pregnant women living in Yokohama city who could communicate in Japanese, recruited at public offices and childcare support facilities. The participants were randomized to the mHealth group (intervention, n = 365), where they could use a free app-based mHealth consultation service with gynecologists/obstetricians, pediatricians, and midwives whenever and as many times as they wanted between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays throughout their pregnancy and postpartum periods (funded by the City of Yokohama government) or the usual care group (control, n = 369). The primary outcome was the risk of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms, defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≥ 9. Secondary outcomes were self-efficacy, loneliness, perceived barriers to healthcare access, number of clinic visits, and ambulance usage. All outcomes were collected three months post-delivery. We also conducted subgroup analyses assessing the differences in the treatment effect by sociodemographic status.

RESULTS

Most women completed all questionnaires (n = 639 of 734, response rate: 87%). The mean baseline age was 32.9 ± 4.2 years, and 62% were primipara. Three months post-delivery, women in the mHealth group had a lower risk of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms (47/310 [15.2%]) compared to the usual care group (75/329 [22.8%], risk ratio: 0.67 [95% confidence interval: 0.48-0.93]). Compared with the usual care group, women in the mHealth group had higher self-efficacy, less loneliness, and fewer perceived barriers to healthcare access. No differences were observed in the frequency of clinic visits or ambulance usage. Furthermore, in the subgroup analyses, we did not find differences in the treatment effect by sociodemographic status.

CONCLUSIONS

Local government-funded mHealth consultation services have a preventive effect on postpartum depressive symptoms, removing physical and psychological barriers to healthcare access in real-world settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

UMIN-CTR identifier: UMIN000041611. Registered 31 August 2021.

SweetMama: Usability Assessment of a Novel Mobile Application Among Low-Income Pregnant People to Assist With Diabetes Management and Support

Background

Mobile health tools may be effective strategies to improve engagement, education, and diabetes-related health during pregnancy. We developed SweetMama, a patient-centered, interactive mobile application (app) designed to support and educate low-income pregnant people with diabetes. Our objective was to evaluate the SweetMama user experience and acceptability.

Methods

SweetMama is a mobile app with static and dynamic features. Static features include a customized homepage and resource library. Dynamic features include delivery of a theory-driven diabetes-specific curriculum via 1) motivational, tip, and goal-setting messages aligning with treatment and gestational age; 2) appointment reminders; and 3) ability to mark content as "favorite." In this usability assessment, low-income pregnant people with gestational or type 2 diabetes used SweetMama for 2 weeks. Participants provided qualitative feedback (via interviews) and quantitative feedback (via validated usability/satisfaction measures) on their experience. User analytic data detailed the duration and type of interactions users had with SweetMama.

Results

Of 24 individuals enrolled, 23 used SweetMama and 22 completed exit interviews. Participants were mostly non-Hispanic Black (46%) or Hispanic (38%) individuals. Over the 14-day period, users accessed SweetMama frequently (median number of log-ins 8 [interquartile range 6-10]), for a median of 20.5 total minutes, and engaged all features. A majority (66.7%) rated SweetMama as having moderate or high usability. Participants emphasized design and technical strengths and beneficial effects on diabetes self-management and also identified limitations of the user experience.

Conclusion

Pregnant people with diabetes found SweetMama to be user-friendly, informative, and engaging. Future work must study its feasibility for use throughout pregnancy and its efficacy to improve perinatal outcomes.

Patient-reported Benefits and Limitations of Mobile Health Technologies for Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

For women with pre-existing and gestational diabetes, pregnancy involves specialized and intensive medical care to optimize maternal and infant outcomes. Medical management for patients with diabetes in pregnancy typically occurs via frequent face-to-face outpatient appointments. COVID-19-induced barriers to face-to-face care have identified the need for high-quality, patient-centred virtual health-care modalities, such as mobile health (mHealth) technologies. Our aim in this review was to identify the patient-reported benefits and limitations of mHealth technologies among women with diabetes in pregnancy. We also aimed to determine how the women's experiences aligned with the best practice standards for patient-centred communication.

METHODS

The framework presented by Arksey and O'Malley for conducting scoping reviews, with refinements by Levac et al, was used to guide this review. Relevant studies were identified through comprehensive database searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare and PsycINFO. Thomas and Harden's methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews guided the synthesis of patient-reported benefits and limitations of mHealth technology.

RESULTS

Overall, 19 studies describing the use of 16 unique mHealth technologies among 742 women were included in the final review. Patient-reported benefits of mHealth included convenience, support of psychosocial well-being and facilitation of diabetes self-management. Patient-reported limitations included lack of important technological features, perceived burdensome aspects of mHealth and lack of trust in virtual health care.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with diabetes report some benefits from mHealth use during pregnancy. Codesigning future technologies with end users may help address the perceived limitations and effectiveness of mHealth technologies.

The Barriers and Facilitators of eHealth-Based Lifestyle Intervention Programs for People With a Low Socioeconomic Status: Scoping Review

Background

Promoting health behaviors and preventing chronic diseases through a healthy lifestyle among those with a low socioeconomic status (SES) remain major challenges. eHealth interventions are a promising approach to change unhealthy behaviors in this target group.

Objective

This review aims to identify key components, barriers, and facilitators in the development, reach, use, evaluation, and implementation of eHealth lifestyle interventions for people with a low SES. This review provides an overview for researchers and eHealth developers, and can assist in the development of eHealth interventions for people with a low SES.

Methods

We performed a scoping review based on Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, using terms related to a combination of the following key constructs: eHealth, lifestyle, low SES, development, reach, use, evaluation, and implementation. There were no restrictions on the date of publication for articles retrieved upon searching the databases.

Results

The search identified 1323 studies, of which 42 met our inclusion criteria. An update of the search led to the inclusion of 17 additional studies. eHealth lifestyle interventions for people with a low SES were often delivered via internet-based methods (eg, websites, email, Facebook, and smartphone apps) and offline methods, such as texting. A minority of the interventions combined eHealth lifestyle interventions with face-to-face or telephone coaching, or wearables (blended care). We identified the use of different behavioral components (eg, social support) and technological components (eg, multimedia) in eHealth lifestyle interventions. Facilitators in the development included iterative design, working with different disciplines, and resonating intervention content with users. Facilitators for intervention reach were use of a personal approach and social network, reminders, and self-monitoring. Nevertheless, barriers, such as technological challenges for developers and limited financial resources, may hinder intervention development. Furthermore, passive recruitment was a barrier to intervention reach. Technical difficulties and the use of self-monitoring devices were common barriers for users of eHealth interventions. Only limited data on barriers and facilitators for intervention implementation and evaluation were available.

Conclusions

While we found large variations among studies regarding key intervention components, and barriers and facilitators, certain factors may be beneficial in building and using eHealth interventions and reaching people with a low SES. Barriers and facilitators offer promising elements that eHealth developers can use as a toolbox to connect eHealth with low SES individuals. Our findings suggest that one-size-fits-all eHealth interventions may be less suitable for people with a low SES. Future research should investigate how to customize eHealth lifestyle interventions to meet the needs of different low SES groups, and should identify the components that enhance their reach, use, and effectiveness.

Barriers and Facilitators of Using eHealth to Support Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Self-Management (GDM): A Systematic Literature Review of Perceptions of Healthcare Professionals and Women with GDM (Preprint)

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common medical complications during pregnancy. eHealth technologies are proving to be successful in supporting the self-management of medical conditions. Digital technologies have the potential to improve GDM self-management.

Objective

The primary objective of this systematic literature review was to identify the views of health professionals (HPs) and women with GDM regarding the use of eHealth for GDM self-management. The secondary objective was to investigate the usability and user satisfaction levels when using these technologies.

Methods

Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach, the search included primary papers in English on the evaluation of technology to support self-management of GDM from January 2008 to September 2021 using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, ACM, and IEEE databases. The lists of references from previous systematic literature reviews, which were related to technology and GDM, were also examined for primary studies. Papers with qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies were included and evaluated. The selected papers were assessed for quality using the Cochrane Collaboration tool, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist, and McGill University Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. NVivo (QSR International) was used to extract qualitative data, which were subjected to thematic analysis. Narrative synthesis was used to analyze the quantitative data.

Results

A total of 26 papers were included in the review. Of these, 19% (5/26) of studies used quantitative research methodologies, 19% (5/26) used qualitative methods, and 62% (16/26) used mixed methods. In all, 4 themes were identified from the qualitative data: the benefits of using technology, engagement with people via technology, the usability of technology, and discouragement factors for the use of technology. The thematic analysis revealed a vast scope of challenges and facilitators in the use of GDM self-management systems. The challenges included usability aspects of the system, technical problems, data privacy, lack of emotional support, the accuracy of reported data, and adoption of the system by HPs. Convenience, improved GDM self-management, peer support, increased motivation, increased independence, and consistent monitoring were facilitators to use these technologies. Quantitative data showed that there is potential for improving the usability of the GDM self-management systems. It also showed that convenience, usefulness, increasing motivation for GDM self-management, helping with GDM self-management, and being monitored by HPs were facilitators to use the GDM self-management systems.

Conclusions

This novel systematic literature review shows that HPs and women with GDM encountered some challenges in using GDM self-management systems. The usability of GDM systems was the primary challenge derived from qualitative and quantitative results, with convenience, consistent monitoring, and optimization of GDM self-management emerging as important facilitators.

Development and Usability of a Text Messaging Program for Women With Gestational Diabetes: Mixed Methods Study

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects 5%-10% of pregnancies and can lead to serious fetal and maternal complications. SMS text messaging is an effective way to improve diabetes management outside of pregnancy, but has not been well studied in GDM.

Objective

This study aimed to perform user experience testing and assess usability and acceptability of an SMS text messaging program (Text 4 Success) for women with GDM.

Methods

An automated 2-way texting program was developed. It included (1) reminders to check blood glucose levels, (2) positive feedback to user-reported glucose levels, (3) weekly educational messages, and (4) weekly motivational messages. For the user experience testing, women received simulated messages. For the usability study, women were enrolled in the program and received messages for 2 weeks. All women participated in semistructured interviews. For women in the usability study, data from glucose measuring devices were downloaded to assess adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), measured as the percentage of recommended SMBG checks performed (a secondary outcome).

Results

Ten women participated in user experience testing. Suggestions for optimization included further customization of message timing and minimization of jargon, which were incorporated. Ten women participated in the usability study. All 10 would recommend the program to other women with GDM. Participants liked the immediate feedback to glucose values. Suggestions included further flexibility of messages related to mealtimes and the ability to aggregate blood glucose data into a table or graph. Overall, adherence to SMBG testing was high at baseline (222/238 recommended checks, 93%). In comparing the week prior to the trial with the 2 weeks during the trial, there was a small but statistically insignificant difference (P=.48) in the percentage of recommended SMBG performed (median 93% [25th-75th IQR 89%-100%] vs median 97% [25th-75th IQR 92%-100%]).

Conclusions

Overall, women with GDM would recommend the Text 4 Success in GDM program and think it is helpful for GDM self-management. The program was usable and acceptable. The program may be better suited to those who have low levels of adherence to SMBG at baseline or to women at time of their diagnosis of GDM. Adaptations to the program will be made based on user suggestions. Further study of SMS text messaging to improve SMBG in GDM is needed.

Effects of mHealth on the psychosocial health of pregnant women and mothers: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the roles of mobile health, or mHealth, in the psychosocial health of pregnant women and mothers.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in databases and grey literature including MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Complete, SocINDEX, Central Register of Controlled Trials, The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Health Technology Assessment, UNICEF and WHO databases. Two searches were conducted to include original research articles published in English until 15 November 2021. Several tools were used to assess the risk of bias: revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised trials, Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment tool for cohort and cross-sectional studies, Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist for qualitative studies and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for mixed-methods studies. Certainty of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Due to the high heterogeneity and variability of the included studies, data synthesis was conducted narratively.

RESULTS

44 studies were included among 11 999 identified articles. Most studies reported mixed findings on the roles of mHealth interventions in the psychosocial health of pregnant women and mothers; mHealth improved self-management, acceptance of pregnancy/motherhood and social support, while mixed results were observed for anxiety and depressive symptoms, perceived stress, mental well-being, coping and self-efficacy. Furthermore, pregnant women and mothers from vulnerable populations benefited from the use of mHealth to improve their psychosocial health.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that mHealth has the potential to improve self-management, acceptance of pregnancy/motherhood and social support. mHealth can also be a useful tool to reach vulnerable pregnant women and mothers with barriers to health information and facilitate access to healthcare services. However, the high heterogeneity limited the certainty of evidence of these findings. Therefore, future studies should identify the context under which mHealth could be more effective.

Comparing the effect of individual counseling with counseling on social application on self-care and quality of life of women with gestational diabetes

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to compare the effect of two different forms of face-to-face and counseling on a social application, i.e., WhatsApp, on self-care and quality of life of women with gestational diabetes.

METHODS

The present research was an educational trial with control group, which was conducted on diabetic women between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy. A total of 126 subjects were included in the study using the convenient sampling method. They were assigned into three groups. All of the participants answered the questionnaires gestational diabetes self-care, and quality of life at the beginning and end of the study. The GATHER approach to counseling (G = Greeting, A = Ask, T = Tell, H = Help, R = Return) was performed in four 45-min sessions for face-to-face and WhatsApp groups in the pregnancy weeks of 27, 28, 29, and 30. The subjects in the control group received only the routine cares for gestational diabetes. T test, Chi squared test, and ANOVA repeated measurement test were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Findings showed a significant difference among the three groups in self-care and quality of life (p = 0.001). There was also a significant difference among the three groups in fasting blood sugar after the intervention (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Self-care counseling, both in the form of face-to-face and on social networks, improved the score of self-care and quality of life as well as glucose tolerance test (GTT) in women with gestational diabetes.