Usability Study of the Mommy-Be App: Exploring the Experience of Breastfeeding Mothers in Eastern Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: The rise of mobile health (mHealth) apps has brought attention to their potential in supporting breastfeeding mothers and preventing postpartum depression (PPD). This study aims to evaluate the usability of Mommy-Be, a mobile phone app designed to support breastfeeding women and help them to acknowledge of their mental health and breastfeeding efficacy during lactation period.   Theoretical Framework: This study uses Usability theory to analyze the use of mHealth applications that proposed by Nielsen model.   Method: This study combines quantitative and qualitative methods, that asses Mommy-Be app's usability among breastfeeding mothers using the Mobile Application Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) and conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of participants. The study included 50 breastfeeding mothers in Makassar, Indonesia, who were primarily between the ages of 19 and 42 and had diverse educational and employment backgrounds. Four weeks after using the Mommy-Be app, revealed a generally positive impression of the application.   Result: Based on MAUQ three dimensions, ease of use, interface satisfaction, usefulness, this study has been determined that the utilization of a Mommy-Be application is both acceptable and feasible as a mobile health (mHealth) solution for breastfeeding mothers. The mothers experience revealed diverse user impressions of the Mommy-Be application. Participants generally found it easy to use, with a favorable interface preference. Participants expressed various benefits of using Mommy-Be, including increased awareness of breastfeeding activities, assistance in meeting nutritional needs, and early detection of postpartum depressive disorders.   Recommendations: To enhance the application's utility, participants suggested improvements, such as data export capabilities, better module integration, consideration of the target audience's resources regarding internet access and the inclusion of educational content, such as the provision of interconnection with multiple lactation counsellors.