Establishing content for a digital educational support group for new adolescent mothers in the Dominican Republic: a user-centered design approach

BackgroundAs digital interventions to improve health become widespread globally, it is critical to include target end-users in their design. This can help ensure interventions are maximally beneficial among intended populations.ObjectivesTo generate the content of a digital educational support group, administered through WhatsApp, for new adolescent mothers and establish participants’ cellular access and WhatsApp use.ParticipantsAdolescent mothers with new babies.MethodsWe completed a two-phase user-centered design process. In phase I design sessions, participants discussed their postpartum experiences and completed an activity to elucidate their health and wellbeing information needs. In phase II sessions, participants individually identified which health information topics were important to them, then all topics were prioritized as a group. Phase II participants also completed a brief survey on cell phone access and WhatsApp use.ResultsPhase I included 24 participants, 21 of whom completed phase II. Priority health and wellbeing information topics in the postpartum period were identified as: child growth and development, understanding your baby, common childhood illnesses, breastfeeding, childhood nutrition, family planning, and self-care. Of phase II participants, 45% had cellular phone access and none had a data plan. Cellular service was inconsistently obtained with data packages or Wi-Fi. 30% of participants had no experience using WhatsApp.ConclusionsParticipants identified numerous health information needs, which will serve as the content for our planned digital support group and provides valuable insight for health care providers globally. Less than half of participants had consistent cellular phone access, and none had reliable access to cellular service.