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Evaluating Preconception Health and Behaviour Change in Australian Women Planning a Pregnancy: The OptimalMe Program, a Digital Healthy Lifestyle Intervention with Remotely Delivered Coaching
oleh: Bonnie R. Brammall, Rhonda M. Garad, Helena J. Teede, Cheryce L. Harrison
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2024-01-01 |
Deskripsi
OptimalMe is a digital healthy lifestyle intervention for women planning a pregnancy, with remotely delivered coaching. This follow-up study of Australian women, stratified by coaching delivery mode (phone vs. videoconferencing), assessed alignment to preconception care guidelines and self-reported behaviour change. Overall, 298 women enrolled with a mean (SD) age of 31.8 (4.3) years and mean BMI of 25.7 (6.1) kg/m<sup>2</sup>. Suboptimal preconception behaviours were reported at baseline, including alcohol consumption (57.2%), infrequent weighing (37.2%) and incomplete cervical cancer screening (15.8%) and prenatal supplementation (38.5). At follow-up (4.5 months) (<i>n</i> = 217), a statistically significant shift towards desired behaviours was reported for alcohol consumption (z = −2.6045, <i>p</i> = 0.00932), preconception supplementation (z = −2.7288, <i>p</i> = 0.00634) and frequent weight monitoring (z = −5.2911, <i>p</i> < 0.00001). An insignificant shift towards adherence to cervical cancer screening (z = −1.8679, <i>p</i> = 0.06148) was observed, with a positive trend towards adherence. Results indicate that women who are actively planning a pregnancy require support to optimise health and lifestyle in preparation for pregnancy and general health and lifestyle improvement. Women demonstrated improvement in lifestyle behaviours and self-monitoring, indicating the uptake of low-intensity, non-prescriptive information provision. Supporting the provision of knowledge-enhancing tools and general healthy lifestyle information combines with skilled health coaching as an effective method for behaviour change and self-management. OptimalMe also shows significant improvements in rates of healthcare engagement, which suggests coaching-based digital health interventions may decrease women’s barriers for preconception care and improve engagement in clinical settings.