Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jun 1, 2023
Date Accepted: Nov 22, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
I Just Wanted a Dentist in My Phone:” Designing an Evidence-Based mHealth Prototype to Improve Pre-School Children’s Oral and Dental Health: Co-development of the ACT “App for Children’s Teeth”
ABSTRACT
Background:
Dental caries in preschool children is a global health concern. With increased access to technology and the disruption of healthcare during the pandemic, mHealth apps have been of interest as potential vehicles for individuals' health maintenance. However, little is known about caring for their child’s teeth and what their preferences would be for its content, or design.
Objective:
To co-design "ACT - An App for Children’s Teeth" prototype with parents, to provide a source of information for them about caring for their children's teeth and to promote positive dental habits.
Methods:
This multi-method research carried out user-involvement studies with a purposive sample of parents/carers of children aged 6 years or younger to 1) understand their use of the internet through the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHLS) and interviews; 2) determine their opinions on content related to children’s oral health; and 3) gain feedback on the App's acceptability using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). There were three stages: 1) interviews with parents to understand their needs, preferences and abilities; 2) prototype design with app developers, and 3) feedback parent interviews using Think-Aloud for data collection. Data were deductively analysed using a Codebook strategy, while data from Think-Aloud were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
: Ten parents participated in the prototype design stage. They reported using the internet to seek health information but found it scattered and contradictory. Parents welcomed the ACT app but had concerns about screen time and practicality. They suggested guidance on oral hygiene practices, teething symptoms, and pain relief, and appreciated clear fonts, categorisation by child's age, and "In a Nutshell" bullet points. Subjects that parents liked were teething, finding a dentist, and breastfeeding. They believed the app fitted their goals and suggested future developments such as outlining the process of applying for a dentist and incorporating a forum for parents to communicate and exchange ideas.
Conclusions:
The co-production design approach revealed parents needs for solution, like mHealth apps, to provide reliable source of information on oral health. They reported key concepts of app design (e.g., simple, uncluttered interface, information categorisation by child's age), and content (e.g., teething, practical guidance supported with visual aid). Parents also had made suggestions on how such an app can fit their life despite the potential challenges relate to their restriction on screen time. Clinical Trial: OSF Registries https://osf.io/uj9az
Citation
