Mobile Phone App Use Among Pregnant Women in China and Associations Between App Use and Perinatal Outcomes: Retrospective Study

The status of intimate partner violence against pregnant women in contemporary China: a scoping review

PURPOSE

This review explored the status of publications on intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women in contemporary China.

METHODS

The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases were searched using the terms "IPV," "pregnant woman," "Chinese," and synonyms in English, along with related keywords for Chinese publications. All literature pertaining to IPV during pregnancy, conducted in China, and published between 1987 and September 2023 was included.

RESULTS

A total of 37 articles from 30 studies were selected. The prevalence of IPV during pregnancy ranged from 2.5% to 31.3%, with psychological violence being the most common form. Frequently identified risk factors included unintended pregnancy, poor family economic conditions, male partners engaging in health risk behaviors, poor employment status of women or their partners, low education levels among women, physical or mental health issues, strained couple relationships, and in-law conflicts. IPV during pregnancy primarily led to mental health problems for the victims and could result in adverse obstetric outcomes, as well as negative effects on the temperament and development of the offspring. Victims in China demonstrated a low willingness to seek help from professionals. Furthermore, relevant research in mainland China is scarce, with a limited number of studies and non-standardized research methodologies.

CONCLUSION

Future research should investigate IPV in pregnancy from various perspectives, identify factors unique to IPV during pregnancy, and focus on high-risk groups. Considering the conditions in China, there is a pressing need to increase public awareness of IPV and to investigate interventions aimed at addressing this issue.

Assessing women's and health professionals' views on developing a midwifery-led mobile health app intervention in pregnancy: A descriptive qualitative study

AIMS

To explore women's and health professionals' views on the development of a midwifery-led mHealth app intervention in antenatal care and their demands for app functionality.

DESIGN

Descriptive qualitative research was utilized.

METHODS

In total, 15 pregnant or postpartum women were interviewed via in-depth interviews and 10 health professionals including obstetricians, midwives and obstetric nurses were invited to participate in a focus group discussion (FGD). All interviews and the FGD were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Four key themes emerged from the data, including (1) limitations of current maternity care services; (2) potential benefits for mHealth app-based midwifery care; (3) possible challenges for providing midwifery care through mHealth apps and (4) suggestions and needs for developing a midwifery-led mHealth app. Participants agreed on the potential need of developing a midwifery-led mHealth app in antenatal care to increase access to midwifery care services and to meet women's diverse needs. Participants preferred to develop professional, reliable, full-featured and interactive mobile applications. The main functions of midwifery-led mHealth apps included personalized assessment and health education, self-monitoring and feedback, data sharing and interactive functions. Women mentioned that online communication and consultation with midwives could help them receive continuous support outside facilities. Health professionals expressed it would be of great convenience and timeliness to send personalized messages to women and to inform them of healthy lifestyles during pregnancy. The challenges included a shortage of human resources, medico-legal risks associated with mHealth and data security risks.

CONCLUSIONS

This study explores the individual views and functional needs of target users and healthcare providers for developing a midwifery-led mHealth app in antenatal care, which will serve as a reference for future application development.

IMPACT

Our study has important and practical implications for guiding the development of future midwifery-led mHealth app interventions.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Exploring Maternal and Infant Health App Development and Effectiveness Research: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Globally, high rates of maternal and infant mortality call for interventions during the perinatal period to engage pregnant people as well as their loved ones in care. Mobile health technologies have become ubiquitous in our lives and in health care settings. However, there is a need to further explore their safety and effectiveness to support and improve health outcomes locally and globally.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to review and synthesize published literature that described the development process or effectiveness evaluations of maternal and infant apps.

METHODS

We applied a methodological framework for scoping reviews as well as the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines; in addition, the systematic review platform Covidence (Veritas Health Innovation Ltd) was used to facilitate the review of included studies. Search terms were developed collaboratively, and health sciences-associated databases were searched for studies conducted between January 1, 2000, and February 4, 2022. We excluded studies about apps that only gathered or tracked data or targeted care providers.

RESULTS

A total of 1027 articles were included for title and abstract screening, of which 87 (8.47%) were chosen for full-text screening. Of these 87 articles, 74 (85%) were excluded with reasons, and 19 (22%) were included. Four articles were added at data extraction from hand searching and 2 others were excluded. Thus, we reviewed and synthesized data from 11 unique studies reported in 21 articles published between 2017 and 2021. The included studies represented 8 different countries. Most of the apps (8/11, 73%) were in English, although apps were also developed in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, and Nepali. The articles reviewed revealed the early stage of development of the field of maternal and infant health apps, with modest evidence of app use and achievement of study outcomes. Only 1 (9%) of the 11 apps was endorsed by an independent health care provider society. App development and evaluation processes emerged, and specific app features were identified as vital for well-functioning apps. End-user engagement occurred in some, but not all, parts of app research and development.

CONCLUSIONS

Apps to improve maternal and infant health are being developed and launched in enormous numbers, with many of them not developed with mothers' needs in mind. There are concerns about privacy, safety, and the standardization of current apps as well as a need for professional or institution-specific guidelines or best practices. Despite challenges inherent in currently available apps and their design processes, maternal and infant app technology holds promise for achieving health equity goals and improving maternal and child health outcomes. Finally, we propose recommendations for advancing the knowledge base for maternal and infant apps.