Feed Safe: Development, Evaluation and Promotion of a Mobile App to Assist Breastfeeding Mothers to Make Safe Decisions about Alcohol Consumption
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Abstract
Background
In Australia, breastfeeding mothers are officially advised that the safest practice is to abstain from alcohol. However, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) acknowledges that the abstinence message may discourage breastfeeding, and supports the provision of practical guidance regarding minimising the risk to lactation and to the breastfed infant, for mothers who choose to drink. In practical terms, women are advised to consume no alcohol for the first month, then to limit their drinking to no more than two standard drinks per day, and to time their consumption to minimise impact.
In 2001 researchers at the Canadian Motherisk program developed a nomogram which used a mother’s height, weight and alcohol consumed to calculate the time to zero level in breastmilk. This was adapted for use in Australia by Dr Roslyn Giglia and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), and included in a brochure containing guidelines and other information. This work was later incorporated into the NHMRC public guidelines.
Development and evaluation of the Feed Safe app
The Feed Safe app was developed to make this information more readily accessible, and to allow more accurate, personalised timing calculations. A partnership-focussed model was used, with support and input in the development, evaluation and dissemination phases, by Dr. Giglia, the ABA, and West Australian services providers. The app was tested and evaluated by community members, and a number of changes were made in response to feedback, before the app was publicly released. The project received funding from Healthway, the West Australian Health Promotion Foundation.
Feed Safe is a native app for iOS devices. Native development was chosen over other cross-platform options, to achieve a high level of quality and usability, and also to ensure offline-usability and data security (information entered by users remains on the device, and is not transmitted to any server). A native Android version is under discussion at the time of writing. A high priority was placed on design, clarity and ease of use, and post-launch feedback has suggested these goals were largely achieved.
Promotion
A two-pronged promotional campaign targeted both traditional and social media. Media releases were sent to major news organisations, resulting in a number of radio interviews and a prominent article in the major West Australian newspaper. Social media discussion saw significant interest in the app during its first week of availability, with a single ABA Facebook post being shared more than 400 times. In a single week, the Feed Safe website received more than 6000 page views, with the app being downloaded nearly 3000 times. The app spent several days as the second most downloaded free health and fitness app on the Australian App Store and at the time of writing continues to receive around 100 downloads per day.
Discussion
The Feed Safe project is a good example of an effective multi-disciplinary partnership resulting in a tool that was well received by users. An effective publicity campaign led to high uptake and good value for money for the project funders.
In Australia, breastfeeding mothers are officially advised that the safest practice is to abstain from alcohol. However, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) acknowledges that the abstinence message may discourage breastfeeding, and supports the provision of practical guidance regarding minimising the risk to lactation and to the breastfed infant, for mothers who choose to drink. In practical terms, women are advised to consume no alcohol for the first month, then to limit their drinking to no more than two standard drinks per day, and to time their consumption to minimise impact.
In 2001 researchers at the Canadian Motherisk program developed a nomogram which used a mother’s height, weight and alcohol consumed to calculate the time to zero level in breastmilk. This was adapted for use in Australia by Dr Roslyn Giglia and the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), and included in a brochure containing guidelines and other information. This work was later incorporated into the NHMRC public guidelines.
Development and evaluation of the Feed Safe app
The Feed Safe app was developed to make this information more readily accessible, and to allow more accurate, personalised timing calculations. A partnership-focussed model was used, with support and input in the development, evaluation and dissemination phases, by Dr. Giglia, the ABA, and West Australian services providers. The app was tested and evaluated by community members, and a number of changes were made in response to feedback, before the app was publicly released. The project received funding from Healthway, the West Australian Health Promotion Foundation.
Feed Safe is a native app for iOS devices. Native development was chosen over other cross-platform options, to achieve a high level of quality and usability, and also to ensure offline-usability and data security (information entered by users remains on the device, and is not transmitted to any server). A native Android version is under discussion at the time of writing. A high priority was placed on design, clarity and ease of use, and post-launch feedback has suggested these goals were largely achieved.
Promotion
A two-pronged promotional campaign targeted both traditional and social media. Media releases were sent to major news organisations, resulting in a number of radio interviews and a prominent article in the major West Australian newspaper. Social media discussion saw significant interest in the app during its first week of availability, with a single ABA Facebook post being shared more than 400 times. In a single week, the Feed Safe website received more than 6000 page views, with the app being downloaded nearly 3000 times. The app spent several days as the second most downloaded free health and fitness app on the Australian App Store and at the time of writing continues to receive around 100 downloads per day.
Discussion
The Feed Safe project is a good example of an effective multi-disciplinary partnership resulting in a tool that was well received by users. An effective publicity campaign led to high uptake and good value for money for the project funders.
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