Engaging African American Parents to Develop a Mobile Health Technology for Breastfeeding: KULEA-NET.
Loral Patchen, Lindsey Ellis, Cherise B Harrington and 4 others
PMID 32525434WHAT IT FOUND
African American participants wanted a breastfeeding app and texts, citing low confidence, attachment beliefs, public feeding, and work.
A prototype scored 73.8 on a usability scale, but this does not show it improves breastfeeding.
Key findings
01African American participants said they wanted a breastfeeding app and text messages because they perceived a lack of credible information, and they named low confidence, attachment beliefs, support, public feeding, and returning to work as key issues.
02In 14 usability testing participants, the prototype's average System Usability Scale score was 73.8, and individual scores ranged from 67.5 to 90.
03Participants liked prototype features such as tips on returning to work, feeding logs, support-person access, and a map for public breastfeeding places.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No breastfeeding outcomes were tested, so the study cannot show that the app improves initiation, exclusivity, or duration. The usability test included 14 participants; 17 enrolled and 3 were lost to follow-up. Usability testing did not include text messaging or the support person, and some features were not fully functional. Focus group and interview discussions were guided by the researchers' questions, so other themes may have emerged with different prompts. Self-selection bias was possible, and the average participant age was 26, which may have made them more favorable to technology. Participants were recruited from outpatient offices and postpartum units in Washington, DC, so findings may not apply elsewhere.
Declared interests
One author disclosed participation in the Diclegis Speakers Bureau for Duchesnay Pharmaceuticals; the other authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. No study funder is named in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 73.8 usability score as evidence that KULEA-NET increases exclusive breastfeeding. The study tested only prototype usability in 14 postpartum participants, and it did not measure breastfeeding outcomes.