Change in sexual and reproductive health knowledge among young women using the conversational agent "Nthabi" in Lesotho: a clinical trial.

Background: Young women worldwide face problems like unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Providing sexual and reproductive health education to young women in low- and middle-income countries is a priority. It is unknown if using digital health interventions to deliver health education is effective in resource-constrained settings.

Association of perinatal depression and postpartum contraception intent, choice, and actual use.

Objectives: Depression is common during pregnancy and the year following childbirth (the perinatal period). This study assessed the association of depressive symptoms and contraception decisions in perinatal individuals.

Study Design: We conducted a secondary analysis using data from the PRogram in Support of Moms (PRISM) study, a cluster randomized controlled trial of active interventions which aimed to address perinatal depression.

Usability and Acceptability of a Conversational Agent Health Education App (Nthabi) for Young Women in Lesotho: Quantitative Study.

Background: Young women in Lesotho face myriad sexual and reproductive health problems. There is little time to provide health education to women in low-resource settings with critical shortages of human resources for health.

Objective: This study aims to determine the acceptability and usability of a conversational agent system, the Nthabi health promotion app, which was culturally adapted for use in Lesotho.

Change in Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge among Young Women Using the Conversational Agent "Nthabi" in Lesotho: A Clinical Trial.

Background: Young women worldwide face problems like unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Providing sexual and reproductive health education to this population remains a priority. It is unknown if using digital health interventions to deliver health education in human resource-constrained settings is effective.

Adaptation of the Gabby conversational agent system to improve the sexual and reproductive health of young women in Lesotho.

Introduction: Young women from the low-middle-income country of Lesotho in southern Africa frequently report limited knowledge regarding sexual and reproductive health issues and engage in risky sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study is to describe the adaptation of an evidence-based conversational agent system for implementation in Lesotho and provide qualitative data pertaining to the success of the said adaptation.

Methods: An embodied conversational agent system used to provide preconception health advice in the United States was clinically and culturally adapted for use in the rural country of Lesotho in southern Africa.

Can psychological interventions prevent or reduce risk for perinatal anxiety disorders? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Little is known about the extent to which interventions can prevent perinatal anxiety disorders. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether interventions can decrease the onset and symptoms of perinatal anxiety among individuals without an anxiety disorder diagnosis.

Method: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across five databases related to key concepts: (1) anxiety disorders/anxiety symptom severity (2) perinatal (3) interventions (4) prevention.

Understanding Perinatal Depression Care Gaps by Examining Care Access and Barriers in Perinatal Individuals With and Without Psychiatric History.

Depression affects one in seven perinatal individuals and remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Individuals with a psychiatric history are at an even greater risk of perinatal depression, but it is unclear how their experiences with the depression care pathway may differ from individuals without a psychiatric history. We conducted a secondary analysis evaluating care access and barriers to care in perinatal individuals who screened positive for depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ( = 280).

Investigating a key structural determinant of health, racism, and related social determinants of health in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A disproportionate burden of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is being shouldered by members of racial and ethnic minorities and socially disadvantaged communities. Structural and social determinants of health have been recognized as key contributors to the inequalities observed. Racism, a major structural determinant of health that patterns related social determinants of health, in the USA, warrants further investigation.

Using Health Information Technology to Engage African American Women on Nutrition and Supplement Use During the Preconception Period.

Importance: Healthy nutrition and appropriate supplementation during preconception have important implications for the health of the mother and newborn. The best way to deliver preconception care to address health risks related to nutrition is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial designed to study the impact of conversational agent technology in 13 domains of preconception care among 528 non-pregnant African American and Black women.

Improving the health of young African American women in the preconception period using health information technology: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Preconception care focuses on improving women's health before pregnancy as a means to improve their health and future pregnancy outcomes. How to effectively deliver such care is unknown. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of an embodied conversational agent system on preconception risks among African American and Black women.

Promotion of Preconception Care Among Adolescents and Young Adults by Conversational Agent.

Purpose: Preconception care is important for all women to improve infant and maternal health outcomes and may be especially important for adolescents and young adults. This study assesses the acceptance, usability, and use of an automated intervention to screen women on 108 preconception care risks and address them over the course of a year via a Web-based virtual animated health counselor and compares these measures for the adolescent and young adult users aged 18-25 years with those of users aged 26-34 years. We hypothesize that the younger cohort will have significantly greater use of and satisfaction with the online intervention.

Assessing the potential of a Virtual Patient Advocate to provide preconception care and health advice to women living in Australia.

A preconception Virtual Patient Advocate (VPA) called "Gabby" supported African-American women to decrease their preconception health risks and may be a scalable resource to increase women's access to preconception care. Aims were to assess the acceptability of a preconception VPA in women living in Australia and document the changes required to adapt Gabby to suit an Australian context. Taking a descriptive qualitative approach, nonpregnant female participants (n = 31), aged 18-45 years, living in metropolitan and regional Victoria, Australia interacted with Gabby.