TY - JOUR
T1 - Infant Feeding Tracker Applications
T2 - Cross-Sectional Analysis of Use
AU - Dinour, Lauren M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author thanks Laura Fischer for assistance with recruitment and data collection and Kaitlin Overgaard and Jennifer Kuscin for helping with data entry and background research. The author also expresses appreciation to the patients who participated in this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objective: Examine the extent to which postpartum patients use infant feeding tracker applications (apps), characteristics of app users, and app features most used and desired. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: An obstetrics/gynecology practice in Northern New Jersey in 2019. Participants: One hundred twenty-six patients aged ≥ 18 years recruited during their 6-week postpartum visit. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported sociodemographics, infant feeding behaviors, and health app use. Respondents were grouped by self-reported use of an infant feeding tracker app. Analysis: Frequencies were calculated for descriptive analysis, and comparisons were made between user groups. Fisher's exact tests of independence were used to analyze categorical data. Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for continuous variables (significance at P < 0.002). Results: Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported using an app to track infant feeding. Compared with nonusers, users were more likely to have an infant who was ever breastfed (P = 0.001; Cramer's V = 0.30) and exclusively breastfed (P < 0.001; Cramer's V = 0.44). Users also used significantly more health apps than nonusers (P < 0.001). Most respondents used the app to track infant feeding, diapering, and sleep. Conclusions and Implications: Given their frequency of use—particularly among those who breastfeed—infant feeding tracker apps have the potential to support parents in meeting their infant feeding goals.
AB - Objective: Examine the extent to which postpartum patients use infant feeding tracker applications (apps), characteristics of app users, and app features most used and desired. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: An obstetrics/gynecology practice in Northern New Jersey in 2019. Participants: One hundred twenty-six patients aged ≥ 18 years recruited during their 6-week postpartum visit. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported sociodemographics, infant feeding behaviors, and health app use. Respondents were grouped by self-reported use of an infant feeding tracker app. Analysis: Frequencies were calculated for descriptive analysis, and comparisons were made between user groups. Fisher's exact tests of independence were used to analyze categorical data. Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for continuous variables (significance at P < 0.002). Results: Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported using an app to track infant feeding. Compared with nonusers, users were more likely to have an infant who was ever breastfed (P = 0.001; Cramer's V = 0.30) and exclusively breastfed (P < 0.001; Cramer's V = 0.44). Users also used significantly more health apps than nonusers (P < 0.001). Most respondents used the app to track infant feeding, diapering, and sleep. Conclusions and Implications: Given their frequency of use—particularly among those who breastfeed—infant feeding tracker apps have the potential to support parents in meeting their infant feeding goals.
KW - breastfeeding
KW - consumer health informatics
KW - feeding behavior
KW - infant care
KW - mobile applications
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130902233&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.03.012
DO - 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.03.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 35643748
AN - SCOPUS:85130902233
SN - 1499-4046
JO - Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
JF - Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
ER -