Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42113963›Full record

ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2026

Usability and Acceptability of a Digital Health App to Support Infant Feeding and Lifestyle Behaviors: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Madhumitha Ayyappan, Nowel Tan, Sarithra Jayasekaran, Chee Wai Ku, Chengsi Ong, Chua Mei Chien, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Fabian Yap, See Ling Loy, Daniel Chan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Madhumitha AyyappanDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7474-3028
Nowel TanDepartment of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-3894-344X
Sarithra JayasekaranEndocrinology Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-9889-1639
Chee Wai KuDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3719-3005
Chengsi OngDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5093-2848
Chua Mei ChienDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7471-751X
Jerry Kok Yen ChanDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0246-2159
Fabian YapDuke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1083-7958
See Ling Loy *Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9205-5580
Daniel Chan *Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore, 65 93871908.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8191-5330

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity is a global health concern with long-term cardiometabolic and psychosocial consequences. Establishing healthy feeding and lifestyle behaviors from infancy is critical to population health efforts with a life course perspective. Recently, digital health applications have gained traction in reaching out to parents and promoting healthy feeding behaviors. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of the Feeding, Lifestyle, Activity Goals app in providing parents with evidence-based guidance and tailored advice to promote healthier eating behaviors and lifestyle habits among infants. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods pilot study among parents of infants aged 0 to 24 months recruited from a tertiary maternity and children's hospital in Singapore. Participants used the digital health app for 7 days. Usability was assessed using the validated System Usability Scale (score range 0-100, with ≥70 indicating acceptable usability). Acceptability was explored via open-ended questionnaires on satisfaction, relevance, and user experience, with qualitative data analyzed thematically by 2 independent coders to ensure rigor. Results: A total of 26 parents of infants aged 3 weeks to 23 months completed the study. The app demonstrated good usability, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 71.3 (SD 11.0). Parents valued its role in organizing infant care; promoting self-reflection on parenting practices; and providing personalized, evidence-based recommendations. These benefits were particularly appreciated by first-time parents and those with multiple caregiving responsibilities. Challenges included an unintuitive user interface, high manual data entry burden, and advisory content that was occasionally overly general or text heavy. These insights highlight clear priorities for onward efforts in optimization. Conclusions: Results of our mixed methods evaluation indicate that our digital health app demonstrated good usability and acceptability among parents of infants. Targeted refinements to the interface, data entry processes, and content delivery are warranted before large-scale evaluation to determine its impact on early-life health behaviors and obesity prevention.

Indexed as

acceptabilitychildhood obesityearly-life behaviorsinfant feedingmHealthmobile appsmobile healthobesity preventionusability

Identifiers

PMID42113963
PMCPMC13160257

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.