App-based intervention for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems: Usability, usefulness and implications for improvement

Michaela Augustin; Anne Sophie Wenzel; Maria Licata-Dandel; Linda D Breeman; Ayten Bilgin; Dieter Wolke; Margret Ziegler; Volker Mall; Anna Friedmann

doi:10.1016/j.invent.2023.100700

App-based intervention for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems: Usability, usefulness and implications for improvement

Internet Interv. 2023 Dec 17:35:100700. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100700. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Michaela Augustin¹, Anne Sophie Wenzel¹, Maria Licata-Dandel^{1

2

3}, Linda D Breeman⁴, Ayten Bilgin⁵, Dieter Wolke^{6

7}, Margret Ziegler², Volker Mall^{1

2}, Anna Friedmann¹

Affiliations

¹ Social Pediatrics, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Heiglhofstr. 65, 81377 Munich, Germany.
² kbo-Kinderzentrum Munich, Heiglhofstr. 65, 81377 Munich, Germany.
³ Department of Psychology, Charlotte-Fresenius-University, Infanteriestr.11a, 80797 Munich, Germany.
⁴ Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom.
⁶ Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7HL, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Background: There is a lack of evidence-based app guidance for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems who are often highly burdened and not likely to seek professional help. A new psychoeducational app for parents providing scientifically sound information via text and videos, a diary function, selfcare strategies, a chat forum and a regional directory of specialized counseling centers may serve as a low-threshold intervention for this target group.

Objective: We investigated how parents perceived the app in terms of the following: (1) overall impression and usability, (2) feedback on specific app functions regarding usefulness and (3) possible future improvements.

Methods: Our clinical sample of N = 137 parents of children aged from 0 to 24 months was recruited from a cry baby outpatient clinic in Southern Germany between 2019 and 2022. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to collect and analyse cross-sectional data on app evaluation. After app use within the framework of a clinical trial, parents filled in an app evaluation questionnaire.

Results: Most participants used the app at least once a week (86, 62.8 %) over an average period of 19.06 days (SD = 15.00). Participants rated overall impression and usability as good, and the informational texts, expert videos and regional register of counseling centers as appealing and useful. The diary function and chat forum were found to be helpful in theory, but improvements in implementation were requested, such as a timer function for the diary entry. Regarding future functionality, parents posed several suggestions such as the option to contact counseling centers directly via app, and the inclusion of the profile of their partners.

Conclusions: Positive ratings of overall impression, usability, and specific app functions are important prerequisites for the app to be effective. App-based guidance for this target group should include easy-to-use information. The app is intended to serve as a secondary preventive low-threshold offer and to complement professional counseling.

Keywords: Crying problems; Feeding problems; Mhealth; Mobile Health Care; Psychoeducation; Regulatory problems; Sleeping problems; babies; baby; crying; eHealth; feeding; health app; mobile app; mobile phone; newborn; parenting; patient education; pobile health; sleep.