Effects of Social Media and Mobile Health Apps on Pregnancy Care: Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background The use of social media and mobile health (mHealth) apps has been increasing in pregnancy care. However, the effectiveness of these interventions is still unclear. Objectives We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of these interventions with regard to different health outcomes in pregnant and postpartum women and investigate the characteristics and components of interventions that may affect program effectiveness. Method We performed a comprehensive literature search of major electronic databases and reference sections of related reviews and eligible studies. A random effects model was used to calculate the effect size. Results Fifteen randomized controlled trial studies published in and before June 2018 that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The interventions were effective in promoting maternal physical health including weight management, gestational diabetes mellitus control, and asthma control with a moderate to large effect size ( d =0.72). Large effect sizes were also found for improving maternal mental health ( d =0.84) and knowledge about pregnancy ( d =0.80). Weight control interventions using wearable devices were more effective. Conclusion Social media and mHealth apps have the potential to be widely used in improving maternal well-being. More large-scale clinical trials focusing on different health outcomes are suggested for future studies.

mHealth Apps Assessment among Postpartum Women with Obesity and Depression

“…Moreover, they also had a higher level of BMI. This corresponds to the research of Chan and Chen [51] which proved that the poor use of mHealth apps could lead to low effectiveness regarding weight management and mental health (e.g. depression).…”

Nutrition, Behavior Change and Physical Activity Outcomes From the PEARS RCT—An mHealth-Supported, Lifestyle Intervention Among Pregnant Women With Overweight and Obesity

“…Smartphone apps have been proposed as a novel method to provide antenatal education, for example in improving glycaemic control (13), gestational weight gain (14,15) and maternal self-efficacy and mental wellbeing (16). A recent meta-analysis demonstrated the increasing prevalence of mHealth-supported randomized controlled trials for weight management in pregnancy (17). Despite a greater publication of studies using mHealth tools to promote maternal behaviors, few have focused on diet and physical activity specifically, and among those that have, mixed results have been reported (18,19).…”

Feasibility of conducting an early pregnancy diet and lifestyle e-health intervention: the Pregnancy Lifestyle Activity Nutrition (PLAN) project

“…Overall, they showed moderate-to-large effect sizes in promoting maternal health, mental health and health knowledge. 21 The established evidence from population studies and emerging RCT evidence suggest that the early pregnancy period is critical in affecting obesity outcomes in the next generation. To ascertain if modifying factors at this time can change obesity outcomes in the offspring, RCTs targeting this period are required.…”