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BackgroundPerinatal health care is critically important for maternal health outcomes in infants. The United States fares considerably worse than comparable countries for maternal and infant mortality rates. As such, alternative models of care or engagement are warranted. Ubiquitous digital devices and increased use of digital health tools have the potential to extend the reach to women and infants in their everyday lives and make a positive impact on their health outcomes. As voice technology becomes more mainstream, research is prudent to establish evidence-based practice on how to best leverage voice technology to promote maternal-infant health. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of using voice technology to support perinatal health and infant care practices. MethodsPerinatal women were recruited from a large Midwest Children’s Hospital via hospital email announcements and word of mouth. Owing to the technical aspects of the intervention, participants were required to speak English and use an iPhone. Demographics, patterns of technology use, and technology use specific to perinatal health or self-care practices were assessed at baseline. Next, participants were onboarded and asked to use the intervention, Self-Management Intervention–Life Essentials (SMILE), over the course of 2 weeks. SMILE provided users with perinatal health content delivered through mini podcasts (ranging from 3 to 8 minutes in duration). After each podcast, SMILE prompted users to provide immediate verbal feedback to the content. An exit interview was conducted with participants to gather feedback on the intervention and further explore participants’ perceptions of voice technology as a means to support perinatal health in the future. ResultsIn total, 19 pregnant women (17 to 36 weeks pregnant) were consented. Themes identified as important for perinatal health information include establishing routines, expected norms, and realistic expectations and providing key takeaways. Themes identified as important for voice interaction include customization and user preferences, privacy, family and friends, and context and convenience. Qualitative analysis suggested that perinatal health promotion content delivered by voice should be accurate and succinctly delivered and highlight key takeaways. Perinatal health interventions that use voice should provide users with the ability to customize the intervention but also provide opportunities to engage family members, particularly spouses. As a number of women multitasked while the intervention was being deployed, future interventions should leverage the convenience of voice technology while also balancing the influence of user context (eg, timing or ability to listen or talk versus nonvoice interaction with the system). ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate the short-term feasibility of disseminating evidence-based perinatal support via podcasts and curate voice-captured data from perinatal women. However, key areas of improvement have been identified specifically for perinatal interventions leveraging voice technology. Findings contribute to future content, design, and delivery considerations of perinatal digital health interventions.

BackgroundChildren are 5 times more likely to be overweight at the age of 12 years if they are overweight during the preschool period. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a cognitive behavioral intervention (TEXT2COPE) synergized with tailored mobile technology (mHealth) on the healthy lifestyle behaviors of parents of overweight and obese preschoolers delivered in a primary care setting. MethodsFifteen preschooler-parent dyads recruited through primary care clinics completed a manualized 7-week cognitive behavioral skills building intervention. Beck’s Cognitive Theory guided the TEXT2COPE intervention content and Fogg’s Behavior Model guided the implementation. The intervention employed a combination of face-to-face clinic visits and ecological momentary interventions using text messaging (short message service, SMS). To enhance the intervention’s relevance to the family’s needs, parents dictated the wording of the text messages and also were able to adapt the frequency and timing of delivery throughout program implementation. ResultsSelf-reported findings indicate that the program is feasible and acceptable in this population. The intervention showed preliminary effects with significant improvements on parental knowledge about nutrition (P=.001) and physical activity (P=.012) for their children, parental beliefs (P=.001) toward healthy lifestyles, and parental behaviors (P=.040) toward engaging in healthy lifestyle choices for their children. Effect sizes were medium to large for all variables. The timing, frequency, and wording of the text messages were tailored to the individual families, with 69% of parents (9/13) increasing the frequency of the tailored SMS from being sent once weekly to as many as 5 times a week. ConclusionsUtilizing a cognitive behavioral skills intervention with SMS has great potential for supporting clinical care of overweight and obese preschool children and their families. Further exploration of the potential effects on health and behavioral outcomes is warranted.

Background: Implementing lifestyle behavior programs in real-world settings challenges researchers. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has implemented and sustained Mothers In Motion (MIM)'s client videos for clients to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, and train-the-trainer videos, for personnel to enhance motivational interviewing techniques since 2015 and 2016, respectively. This paper describes the implementation processes and the results of client video implementation acceptability by WIC personnel. Methods: To document the implementation process, we applied the Framework for Adaptation and Modifications to Evidence-Based Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS). To evaluate implementation acceptability, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 WIC personnel. A qualitative analysis was conducted to identify the common themes. Results: The facilitators for client video implementation were the inclusion of the target audience and family members addressing daily challenges, easy implementation, and compatibility with daily practice. While videos online facilitated implementation, videos in DVD format could challenge implementation. Conclusions: Future lifestyle intervention programs aimed for future implementation in community settings may consider the inclusion of the target audience and their family members and take into consideration easy implementation and compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pokémon GO illuminated the potential for mobile phone gaming apps to engage users and promote health. However, much work is needed to fully understand the mechanisms through which digitally supported behavior change interventions operate, particularly for children and families. Objective: The aims of this study were (1) to explore the Pokémon GO user experience from a family perspective and (2) to investigate Pokémon GO within the context of family health. Methods: Between January and February 2017, congruent with one of the largest anticipated Pokémon GO updates Gen 2, participants were recruited from parks, word of mouth, and social media to complete a Web-based survey. Participants were surveyed about family characteristics, interest, and experiences playing Pokémon GO and healthy lifestyle beliefs. Using a revised Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, a retrospective pre-post design assessed changes in parent physical activity (PA) before and after playing Pokémon GO. Results: Self-reported data from 160 parents and 31 children were included in the final analyses (representing 129 parents and 31 parent-child dyads). Gameplay most often occurred between sons aged 10 years or younger and mothers. "Spending time together" was the most cited reason for gameplay by both parents (122/160, 76.3%) and children (24/31, 77%), followed by "it helped me go outdoors" for parents (113/160, 70.1%) and "I am a Pokémon fan" by children (21/31, 68%). Interestingly, open-ended responses indicated that gameplay could trigger both positive and negative emotional parent response. The most cited reason for app disengagement was boredom; conversely, the most cited reason for app re-engagement was in-app events. For parents, there were significant increases in minutes spent in mild (mean 23.36 [SD 66.02]; t97=3.50, P<.001) and moderate (mean 21.76 [SD 53.04]; t130=4.70, P<.001) PA per week after playing Pokémon GO. However, child perceptions of parental influence on PA most significantly associated with parents who reported weekly strenuous PA both before (rs=.514, P=.003) and after (rs=.536, P=.003) Pokémon GO uptake. Conclusions: Pokémon GO transcended traditional understanding of digital health and uniquely reached across generations to engage users. Findings from this study highlight that, for a period of time, Pokémon GO fostered social and physical well-being for children and families through a multifaceted approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nearly 70% of faculty experience very high levels of stress. Integrative Nurse Coaching (INC) can help by assisting clients in establishing goals and embarking on new lifestyle behaviors that help to decrease perceived stress, achieve work life integration, and enhance life satisfaction. Our goal was to evaluate a faculty coaching and fellowship program to support faculty well-being while developing innovation competency., Methods: We employed an INC paradigm to coach five faculty to build confidence and competence in innovation and enhance well-being. We offered monthly group and individual coaching and used a qualitative research thematic analysis to determine themes important for the fellow and group experiences, identify outcomes, and create recommendations for the future., Results: We identified the following themes as outcomes for our program: (1) enhanced connection, comradery, and support; (2) increased confidence and competence in navigating academia; (3) shift from a fixed mindset to an innovation mindset; and (4) increased ability to identify and manage stress and burnout. Fellows also experienced a shift from focusing on individual needs to addressing the needs of the community at the college., Conclusion: Nurse coaching is an effective strategy to address faculty stress and burnout. Additional research is needed to evaluate the Innovation for Well-being faculty fellowship program and its impact on the academic community., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© The Author(s) 2023.)