Gaynor Mathew, Hesketh Kylie, Gebremariam Kidane, Wynter Karen, Laws Rachel
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Centre of Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, National Health and Medical Research Council, Melbourne, Australia.
JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2025 Feb 21;8:e64171. doi: 10.2196/64171.
BACKGROUND: Evolving societal trends are resulting in fathers having an increasing influence on the health-related behaviors that children develop. Research shows that most fathers are committed to their role and when equipped with knowledge, can have a positive impact on their child's health. However, parenting resources typically target mothers, with fathers being excluded. While evolving mobile phone technology provides an efficient means for delivering parenting resources, many fathers find that mobile health (mHealth) technology does not provide material they can engage with. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore how to make parenting apps more engaging and useful for fathers using an existing parenting mHealth resource, the My Baby Now app, as a case study. METHODS: A total of 14 purposefully selected, Australian fathers of 7 months to 5-year-old children took part in a qualitative study, comprising either focus groups or interviews. Recorded focus groups and interviews were transcribed verbatim, then coded using a combination of deductive and inductive methods. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify patterns and themes. RESULTS: Current parenting apps provide parenting information that can be unappealing for fathers. To improve paternal engagement with mHealth resources, fathers highlighted the need for father specific information, with an increase in positive imagery and positive descriptions of fathers in their parenting role. There should be father-exclusive domains such as forums, and also push notifications to provide positive reinforcement and encouragement for fathers. CONCLUSIONS: mHealth has the capacity to deliver information to fathers when needed. This reduces the risk of paternal frustration and disengagement from parenting. Further benefit will be gained by research to understand possible differences in mHealth app usage by fathers of differing socioeconomic position, cultural backgrounds, and family status, such as single fathers and same-sex couples.
背景:不断演变的社会趋势使父亲对孩子养成的健康相关行为的影响日益增加。研究表明,大多数父亲都致力于履行自己的角色,一旦掌握相关知识,就能对孩子的健康产生积极影响。然而,育儿资源通常以母亲为目标受众,将父亲排除在外。尽管不断发展的移动电话技术为提供育儿资源提供了一种高效手段,但许多父亲发现移动健康(mHealth)技术并未提供他们能够参与的内容。 目的:本研究旨在以现有的育儿mHealth资源“我的宝宝现在”应用程序为例,探讨如何使育儿应用程序对父亲更具吸引力和实用性。 方法:共有14名经过有目的挑选的、孩子年龄在7个月至5岁之间的澳大利亚父亲参与了一项定性研究,该研究包括焦点小组讨论或访谈。对录制的焦点小组讨论和访谈进行逐字转录,然后使用演绎法和归纳法相结合的方式进行编码。进行反思性主题分析以识别模式和主题。 结果:当前的育儿应用程序提供的育儿信息可能对父亲缺乏吸引力。为了提高父亲对mHealth资源的参与度,父亲们强调需要提供针对父亲的特定信息,增加对父亲育儿角色的正面形象和积极描述。应该有诸如论坛之类的父亲专属领域,并且还应推送通知,为父亲提供积极的强化和鼓励。 结论:mHealth有能力在需要时向父亲提供信息。这降低了父亲产生挫败感和脱离育儿的风险。通过研究了解不同社会经济地位、文化背景和家庭状况(如单身父亲和同性伴侣)的父亲在使用mHealth应用程序方面可能存在的差异,将获得进一步的益处。
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