SAFEAPP: A mobile application to help prevent infant falls in Australia
Background:
- Falls are the most common form of injury for infants (<1 year), and often lead to head injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
- Since infants are mostly under parental care, the majority of falls are related to caretaking practices.
- Currently there are no interventions specifically for infant falls.
- Mobile phones are the most commonly used technology worldwide and a potential delivery mode for interventions targeting new mothers. In 2014, smart phone penetration among Australian adults was 89% and was projected to reach 92% by the end of 2015.
Aims
- To develop an individually tailored digital intervention targeting the contextual factors leading to infant falls in Australia, grounded in behavioural theory.
- To use a person-centred approach in the construction of intervention materials and app implementation.
- To test acceptance and influence on parental behaviours.
Methods
- An analysis of parental discussions will be conducted about falls from an online parenting discussion forum to understand the contextual factors.
- The project will use the systematic Behaviour Change Wheel process to develop behaviour change strategies and a mobile application, in collaboration with childcare experts and parents.
Impacts
- The project aims to contribute to better understanding of the burden and context of infant falls in Australia.
- It will develop an intervention with the potential of lowering rates of fallrelated injury in infants aged <12 months.
- The project will explore the potential of a behaviour theory-based digital health tool for child injury prevention.
- It will be the first targeted intervention for infant fall prevention in Australia.
