Using interactive digital technology to predict and prevent childhood overweight

Rose, Jennie, Redsell, Sarah A., Wharrad, Heather, Siriwardena, A. Niroshan, Swift, Judy A., Dilip, Nathan, Weng, Stephen F., Atkinson, Pippa, Ablewhite, Joanne, Watson, Vicki and Glazebrook, Cris (2017) Using interactive digital technology to predict and prevent childhood overweight. Acta Paediatrica, 106 (S470). p. 10. ISSN 1651-2227

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Abstract

Background: Obesity risk factors can be identified during infancy, providing an opportunity for early intervention. ProAsk is an interactive digital intervention that supports health professionals to quantify and communicate an infant's overweight risk status, prompting discussion of parental strategies to reduce future risk.

Aim: To investigate user experiences of an interactive digital intervention that assesses overweight risk during infancy and supports motivational behaviour change by parents to reduce their infants' future risk.

Method: The study was conducted in four economically deprived localities in the UK. Qualitative data on user experiences of ProAsk were collected at the end of a feasibility study of the intervention in which health visitors (public health nurses) used ProAsk with parents when the infants were three months old. Semi-structured interviews with parents (N = 12) and health visitors (N = 15) were conducted when the infants were 6 months old. Interview data were transcribed and analysed thematically using an inductive, interpretative approach.

Results: The analysis identified four key themes: engaging and empowering with digital technology; unfamiliar technology presents challenge and opportunity; trust in the risk score; resistance to targeting.

Conclusions: Interactive, digital technology was found to actively engage parents, and enabled them to take ownership of the process of seeking strategies to reduce infant risk of overweight. However, cognitive and motivational biases that prevent effective overweight risk communication represent barriers to targeting the intervention at those infants most at risk of becoming overweight.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/894264
Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: 2017), Oral Presentations. Acta Paediatrica, 106: 10–18. doi: 10.1111/apa.14093, which has been published in final form at https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apa.14093. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Keywords: Infancy; Intervention; Obesity; Overweight; Prevention
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Medicine > Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology
University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Medicine > Division of Primary Care
University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Science > School of Biosciences
Identification Number: 10.1111/apa.14093
Depositing User: McCambridge, Mrs April
Date Deposited: 30 Jan 2018 09:56
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 19:17
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/49395

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