Qualitative Interviews to Determine Preferences of mHealth Early Childhood Feeding Guidance for Mothers and Fathers by Income Status

Abstract

ObjectivesResponsive feeding of young children is associated with optimal nutrient intake and long-term regulation of child weight, and is a critical target of interventions aiming to prevent early childhood obesity. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore differences in parents’ preferred content and features (e.g., Goal setting) in an mHealth app (BabyByte) designed to support responsive feeding, based on sex (mothers vs. fathers) and income status (low-income vs. non-low income). MethodsParents were interviewed individually by a trained researcher using a semi-structured script based on the Technology Acceptance Model (perceived usefulness, attitude & subjective norm), and the app prototype’s content and features. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two researchers using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Qualitative cross-tab analysis was used to compare responses by sex and income status. ResultsParents (n = 20 fathers, n = 20 mothers) were, on average, 33 years old, non-white (52%), with a Bachelor’s degree or higher (63%). Fathers’ attitudes and subjective norms indicated that they were most interested in content related to first foods, choking hazards, and nutrition information, while mothers preferred content on breastfeeding, picky eating, and portion sizes. Fathers perceived features such as “Goals” and “Tracking Progress,” as most useful while mothers favored “Parent Connection.” When comparing parents’ attitudes and subjective norms by income status, low-income parents were interested in content related to nutrition guidelines, breastfeeding, and introducing solids. Non-low income parents preferred information related to food allergies, portion sizes, and picky eating. Low-income parents perceived features “Ask the Expert” and “Parent Connection,” as most useful while non-low income parents favored “Eating Milestones.” ConclusionsFathers and mothers have somewhat different preferences as it relates to the content and features of a child feeding app and these preferences also sometimes vary by income status. Thus, personalization based on gender and income level should be considered when developing mHealth tools to disseminate early childhood feeding information to parents. Funding SourcesUniversity of Florida CTSI.