Designing mHealth for immigrant pregnancy ecology (Preprint)

Abstract

Background: A valuable addition to the mHealth space is an exploration of the context of minorities in developed countries. The transition period post migration, culture, and socioeconomic uniqueness of migratory groups can shed light into the problems with existing prenatal mobile health applications. Objective: The purpose of this study was to use the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to understand the emotional, physical, information, and social challenges affecting the women's prenatal wellbeing practices. Therefore, develop a deep understanding of challenges worth of consideration in mHealth design for lowincome Caribbean immigrant women. Then, conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for prenatal mobile health technology specific to this population. Methods: This qualitative study presents the findings of three focus group sessions with twelve Caribbean immigrant women living in South Florida in the United States. Results:The participants reveal problematic tiers within the pregnancy ecology including emotional stressors caused by family separation, physical challenges, information gaps, and longing for social support. Conclusions: mHealth interventions for low-income Caribbean immigrant women must be designed beyond the conventional way of focusing on the events surrounding the unborn child. It can be tailored to the needs of the expecting mother. Pregnancy information should be customized based on the variability of lifestyle, cultural practices, socioeconomic status, and social ties while still being able to deliver appropriate guidelines and clear cultural misconceptions.