Engaging Men in Prenatal Health via eHealth: Findings From a National Survey

Michael Mackert; Marie Guadagno; Allison Lazard; Erin Donovan; Aaron Rochlen; Alexandra Garcia; Manuel José Damásio; Brittani Crook

doi:10.2196/pediatrics.9513

Engaging Men in Prenatal Health via eHealth: Findings From a National Survey

JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2018 Aug 9;1(2):e7. doi: 10.2196/pediatrics.9513.

Authors

Michael Mackert^{1

2}, Marie Guadagno^{1

2}, Allison Lazard³, Erin Donovan¹, Aaron Rochlen⁴, Alexandra Garcia², Manuel José Damásio⁵, Brittani Crook¹

Affiliations

¹ Center for Health Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
² Department of Population Health, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States.
³ School of Media and Journalism, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
⁴ Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
⁵ Departamento de Cinema e comunicação Multimédia, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisbon, Portugal.

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy outcomes in the United States rank among the worst of countries with a developed health care system. Although traditional prenatal health primarily focuses on women, promising findings have emerged in international research that suggest the potential of including men in prenatal health interventions in the United States. eHealth apps present a promising avenue to reach new and expectant fathers with crucial parenting knowledge and healthy, supportive behaviors.

Objective: The aim was to explore the perceived role of men in prenatal health, acceptability of eHealth to positively engage men during pregnancy, and participant-suggested ways of improving a prenatal health app designed for new and expectant fathers.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of adult males (N=962) was recruited through an online survey panel. A third-party market research and digital data collection agency managed the recruitment. The sample had a mean age of 30.2 (SD 6.3) years and included both fathers (413/962, 42.9%) and non-fathers (549/962, 57.1%). Nearly 12.0% (115/962) of participants had a partner who was pregnant at the time of the survey.

Results: Despite perceived barriers, such as time constraints, financial burdens, and an unclear role, men believe it is important to be involved in pregnancy health. The majority of participants (770/944, 81.6%) found the site to contain useful and interesting information. Most substantially, more than three-quarters (738/962, 76.7%) of the sample said they would share the site with others who would benefit from the information. Participants recommended the addition of interactive modules, such as a financial planning tool and videos, to make the site stronger.

Conclusions: We explored the use of targeted eHealth to introduce men to prenatal education. Results indicate men are favorable to this intervention. Additional refinement should include interactive tools to further engage men in this important issue. Reaching men at the prenatal phase is an early "teachable moment"-where new/expectant fathers are open to information on how to help their partners have a healthy pregnancy and promote the health of their unborn children. Findings will further inform best practices for engaging men in pregnancy, which is crucial for improving maternal and child health outcomes in the United States.

Keywords: expectant fathers; fathering; health communication; prenatal health.

©Michael Mackert, Marie Guadagno, Allison Lazard, Erin Donovan, Aaron Rochlen, Alexandra Garcia, Manuel José Damásio, Brittani Crook. Originally published in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting (http://pediatrics.jmir.org), 09.08.2018.