Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.

Maintaining adequate hydration over the course of pregnancy is critical for maternal and fetal health and reducing risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., preeclampsia, low placental and amniotic fluid volume). Recent evidence suggests that women may be at risk for under-hydration in the second...

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Main Authors: Abigail M Pauley, Asher Y Rosinger, Jennifer S Savage, David E Conroy, Danielle Symons Downs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-05-01
Series:PLOS Digital Health
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000499&type=printable
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author Abigail M Pauley
Asher Y Rosinger
Jennifer S Savage
David E Conroy
Danielle Symons Downs
author_facet Abigail M Pauley
Asher Y Rosinger
Jennifer S Savage
David E Conroy
Danielle Symons Downs
author_sort Abigail M Pauley
collection DOAJ
description Maintaining adequate hydration over the course of pregnancy is critical for maternal and fetal health and reducing risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., preeclampsia, low placental and amniotic fluid volume). Recent evidence suggests that women may be at risk for under-hydration in the second and third trimesters when water needs begin to increase. Scant research has examined pregnant women's knowledge of hydration recommendations, water intake behaviors, and willingness to use digital tools to promote water intake. This study aimed to: 1) describe hydration recommendation knowledge and behaviors by the overall sample and early vs late pregnancy, and 2) identify habits and barriers of using digital tools. Pregnant women (N = 137; M age = 30.9 years; M gestational age = 20.9) completed a one-time, 45-minute online survey. Descriptive statistics quantified women's knowledge of hydration recommendations, behaviors, and attitudes about utilizing digital tools to promote adequate intake, and Mann-Whitney U and chi-squared tests were used to determine group differences. Most women lacked knowledge of and were not meeting hydration recommendations (63%, 67%, respectively) and were not tracking their fluid consumption (59%). Knowledge of hydration recommendations differed by time of pregnancy, such that women in later pregnancy reported 82 ounces compared to women in early pregnancy (49 ounces). Common barriers included: forgetting to drink (47%), not feeling thirsty (47%), and increased urination (33%). Most were willing to use digital tools (69%) and believed a smart water bottle would help them achieve daily fluid recommendations (67%). These initial findings suggest that pregnant women may benefit from useful strategies to increase knowledge, decrease barriers, and maintain adequate hydration, specifically earlier in pregnancy. These findings will inform the design of a behavioral intervention incorporating smart connected water bottles, wearables for gesture detection, and behavior modification strategies to overcome barriers, promote proper hydration and examine its impact on maternal and infant health outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-884f02032e9d4d27866d49bd3618a2752025-01-30T05:30:53ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Digital Health2767-31702024-05-0135e000049910.1371/journal.pdig.0000499Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.Abigail M PauleyAsher Y RosingerJennifer S SavageDavid E ConroyDanielle Symons DownsMaintaining adequate hydration over the course of pregnancy is critical for maternal and fetal health and reducing risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., preeclampsia, low placental and amniotic fluid volume). Recent evidence suggests that women may be at risk for under-hydration in the second and third trimesters when water needs begin to increase. Scant research has examined pregnant women's knowledge of hydration recommendations, water intake behaviors, and willingness to use digital tools to promote water intake. This study aimed to: 1) describe hydration recommendation knowledge and behaviors by the overall sample and early vs late pregnancy, and 2) identify habits and barriers of using digital tools. Pregnant women (N = 137; M age = 30.9 years; M gestational age = 20.9) completed a one-time, 45-minute online survey. Descriptive statistics quantified women's knowledge of hydration recommendations, behaviors, and attitudes about utilizing digital tools to promote adequate intake, and Mann-Whitney U and chi-squared tests were used to determine group differences. Most women lacked knowledge of and were not meeting hydration recommendations (63%, 67%, respectively) and were not tracking their fluid consumption (59%). Knowledge of hydration recommendations differed by time of pregnancy, such that women in later pregnancy reported 82 ounces compared to women in early pregnancy (49 ounces). Common barriers included: forgetting to drink (47%), not feeling thirsty (47%), and increased urination (33%). Most were willing to use digital tools (69%) and believed a smart water bottle would help them achieve daily fluid recommendations (67%). These initial findings suggest that pregnant women may benefit from useful strategies to increase knowledge, decrease barriers, and maintain adequate hydration, specifically earlier in pregnancy. These findings will inform the design of a behavioral intervention incorporating smart connected water bottles, wearables for gesture detection, and behavior modification strategies to overcome barriers, promote proper hydration and examine its impact on maternal and infant health outcomes.https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000499&type=printable
spellingShingle Abigail M Pauley
Asher Y Rosinger
Jennifer S Savage
David E Conroy
Danielle Symons Downs
Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
PLOS Digital Health
title Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
title_full Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
title_fullStr Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
title_full_unstemmed Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
title_short Every sip counts: Understanding hydration behaviors and user-acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy.
title_sort every sip counts understanding hydration behaviors and user acceptability of digital tools to promote adequate intake during early and late pregnancy
url https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000499&type=printable
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