Evaluation of Baby Steps: An online program promoting the wellbeing of new mothers and fathers

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Perinatal psychological distress; perinatal quality of life; self-efficacy in child rearing; satisfaction with parenting role and skills; relationship satisfaction; Mental Health - Other mental health disorders; Public Health - Health promotion/education; Reproductive Health and Childbirth - Childbirth and postnatal care

• Registration Number: ACTRN12614001256662
• Lead Sponsor: Prof David Kavanagh

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2014-12-02
• Study Completion: 2016-05-11
• Last Update Posted: 13 January 2020

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 496

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion criteria are:
1) Co-parenting male-female couple
2) First child for both parents
3) Gestation between 26 and 38 weeks
4) Pregnancy is singleton with no complications
5) Literacy in English
6) Internet and mobile phone access
7) Aged 18 years or over

The project aims to enhance wellbeing in the transition to parenthood. It therefore focuses on first-time parents.
Participants are recruited antenatally at a gestation of 26 to 38 weeks. This represents a range of strong fetal viability if premature labour were to occur and also allows time to engage with the program before the arrival of the baby.

Exclusion Criteria

The current study specifically excludes:
Children and young people under the age of 18: Participants under 18 are excluded as young adolescent pregnancies require greater monitoring and support than this study can provide. Participants under 18 may still access the Babycare program (as per other participants who do not meet the inclusion criteria), but will be referred to other appropriate sources of support outside of the study.

Pregnancies that are multiple or have complications have greater support needs than this study can offer.

Individuals that do not have a high level of English literacy, and participants with an intellectual or cognitive impairment will also be excluded as they will be unable to give informed consent. Additionally, they will not be able to complete the assessments or understand the intervention, all of which is presented in written format. They may still access the Babycare program if they desire to as per other individuals who do not meet the inclusion criteria.
Same-sex couples are excluded as this research is specifically studying the wellbeing of male-female couples in the transition to parenthood. Same-sex couples may still access the Babycare program if they desire to as per other individuals who do not meet the inclusion criteria.

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perinatal psychological distress as measured by the mean score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is a 10-item screening instrument that assesses generalised depression and anxiety symptoms over the past week. [baseline, 3 months (13 weeks) and 6 months (26 weeks) after randomisation.];Quality of life as measured by the mean score on the Assessment of Quality of Life 8D Instrument (AQoL-8D). The AQoL-8D is a 35-item scale assessing 8 dimensions of quality of life over the past week (independent living, relationships, mental health, coping, pain, senses, life satisfaction and self-worth). [baseline, 3 months (13 weeks) and 6 months (26 weeks) after randomisation.]