Using Intervention Mapping to Develop a Workplace Digital Health Intervention for Preconception, Pregnant, and Postpartum Women: The Health in Planning, Pregnancy and Postpartum (HiPPP) Portal

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 16;19(22):15078. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192215078.

Abstract

Digital health interventions that specifically target working women across the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum (PPP) life stages may address the unique barriers to engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviours and self-care during this life phase. This paper describes the development of a workplace digital health intervention to promote healthy lifestyles and wellbeing for PPP women working at a community service organization in Australia. Intervention Mapping is a framework that guides program development, implementation, and evaluation. Steps 1 to 5 of Intervention Mapping methodology (needs assessment through to program implementation) were used, including identification of determinants and change objectives across socioecological levels (i.e., individual, interpersonal, and organisational) and iterative co-design and stakeholder engagement processes. The workplace digital health intervention was successfully developed and implemented as an online portal. Content included key strategies, information, and supports to promote health and wellbeing across PPP, including supporting the return to work in the postpartum period. Examples of resource pages included a parental leave checklist, process flows, Pride resources, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources. Findings from a pilot feasibility study indicate the portal was accessible and beneficial for women in PPP life stages. The Intervention Mapping protocol may offer a valuable roadmap for collaborative design of interventions targeting PPP women's behaviour and organisational work culture. Future work is needed to evaluate whether such interventions lead to improvements in women's health and wellbeing.

Keywords: co-design; community service; intervention mapping; postpartum; preconception; pregnancy; wellbeing; workplace.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
  • Female
  • Health Planning
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Postpartum Period
  • Pregnancy
  • Women, Working*
  • Workplace*

Grants and funding

Funding for this research was provided by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF; TABP-18-0001) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) through the Centre for Research Excellence in Health in Preconception and Pregnancy (CRE HiPP) (GNT1171142). The MRFF provides funding to support health and medical research and innovation, with the objective of improving the health and wellbeing of Australians. MRFF funding has been provided to The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre under the MRFF Boosting Preventive Health Research Program. Further information on the MRFF is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff (accessed on 8 October 2022). B.H. was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (GNT1120477).