Effectiveness of the Mobile e-Health Individual and Family Self-management Program for Primiparous Pregnant Adolescents: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

 Adolescent pregnancy is considered high-risk of health problems that impair their quality of life. Also, many pregnant adolescents are likely to have poor self-management behavior during pregnancy, affecting their health status. This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a mobile e-health individual and family self-management program for primiparous pregnant adolescents. Seventy pregnant adolescents who attended a prenatal clinic at a provincial hospital near Bangkok, Thailand, were assigned to the experimental (n = 35) and control group (n = 35). The experimental group received the intervention program and usual care, while the control group received only usual care. The program was held in three sessions over four weeks, and the outcomes were evaluated three times, at baseline, two weeks (time 1), and four weeks (time 2) after completing the program. Data collection took place from July to December 2022 using a personal data form, the Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire on Pregnancy Health of Adolescent Pregnant Women, the Pregnancy Health Status Record Form, and the WHOQOL-BREF-Thai questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, RM-ANCOVA, independent t-test, and chi-square analyzed the data. The findings revealed that four weeks after completion of the program (time 2), there was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of self-management behavior between the experimental and control groups. Still, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean quality of life scores. In addition, the experimental group’s hemoglobin level, hematocrit level, and gestational weight gain were significantly higher than the control group’s. Moreover, the number of participants with urinary tract infections in the experimental group was lower, whereas the average fetal weight gain was higher than in the control group. Nurses and midwives can use this program for adolescent pregnancy to improve self-management behaviors, health status, and quality of life. However, further testing is needed before it is widely used.