Lydia Hearn*, School of Dentistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Margaret Miller*, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia Track: Research Presentation Topic: Building virtual communities and social networking applications for patients and consumers Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Sheraton Maui Resort Room: C - Napili Date: 2014-11-14 02:00 PM – 02:45 PM Last modified: 2014-09-16

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Background: Perinatal parents’ health literacy is an important determinant of young children’s health. An emerging form of health communication is via online resources. Although numerous websites and apps exist to reach perinatal parents, rarely has research to inform their design and planning been reported.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the online format and content needs of perinatal parents and related gaps in existing online healthy lifestyle resources.

Methods: Data collection to determine needs included: intercept interviews with 53 pregnant women, 67 post-natal women, 61 community health providers, 15 senior hospital clinicians. Using these findings, a Gap Analysis Scale was developed against which to assess the strengths and weaknesses of online resources currently available to perinatal parents.

Findings: The study indicated parents wanted personalised smartphone apps with links to websites containing trustworthy, evidence-based, easy to read answers to everyday questions; self-assessment tools and practical suggestions to achieve change at the family level; information on events in their local area; and links to further resources. Parents expressed a clear preference for quality-assured resources recommended by a trusted health professional, with information readily accessed on mobile devices. Gap analysis of existing resources showed the main limitations were lack of personal relevance, interactivity and credible sources. The results were used to develop a medically-endorsed website and app with interactive and personalised features. It provides perinatal women with a personalised tool to track their weight, diet, physical activity, emotional wellbeing and sleep patterns based on the developmental stage of their child with links to relevant, quality-assured information to support behaviour change. One year since the launch of this website and app, data indicates it provides a low cost intervention delivered across most geographic and socio-economic strata without additional demands on health service staff. Average app sign up represented 18% of new pregnancies, with app self-assessments completed at a rate of 167 per week, with the average person completing 3.6 questionnaires. The highest app self-assessment usage was in the first two trimesters of pregnancy and in the first 3 months post-birth. Web page views per week averaged 292 for pregnancy lifestyle information and 184 for post-natal information.

Conclusions: Whilst many pregnancy-focused websites and apps are available, the strengths of this resource include attention to women’s expressed needs as well as effective behaviour change strategies including self-assessment, goal setting, tailored advice and feedback. Provision of clinically-endorsed information also provides reassurance to health care providers engaged in implementation.