Personalized support by health professionals is critical to optimizing women’s engagement and motivation in lifestyle programs, and improves outcomes for women planning to conceive, Monash University research has found.
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI) researchers found that women planning pregnancy seek credible, evidence-based information to improve health, which may improve health prior to pregnancy and reduce pregnancy complications.
Published in Nutrients, the study analyzed the healthy lifestyle program OptimalMe.
This online and phone-and-video-based program aims to empower and assist women in optimizing their health, advocating for healthy dietary habits and regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight throughout the preconception period and into pregnancy. It also provides valuable information on preconception care guidelines.
Coaching sessions utilize a personalized digital preconception health checklist and establish self-directed, sustainable lifestyle goals. Participants define healthy lifestyle objectives, develop action plans, and receive feedback and positive reinforcement from coaches.
The study results show that women’s program engagement and usage were significantly higher when they had access to personalized coaching support, in combination with engaging, interactive and relevant digital content. Usage of the digital platform and behavior change tools reduced when the coaching ended.