TY  - JOUR
AU  - Dol, Justine
AU  - Campbell-Yeo, Marsha
AU  - Aston, Megan
AU  - McMillan, Douglas
AU  - Grant, Amy K
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/4/2
TI  - Impact of a 6-Week Postpartum Text Messaging Program (Essential Coaching for Every Mother) at 6 Months: Follow-Up Study to a Randomized Controlled Trial
JO  - JMIR Pediatr Parent
SP  - e62841
VL  - 8
KW  - mHealth
KW  - mobile health
KW  - SMS text message
KW  - text messages
KW  - messaging
KW  - self-efficacy
KW  - postpartum depression
KW  - postpartum anxiety
KW  - social support
KW  - intervention
KW  - postpartum
KW  - postnatal
KW  - mental health
KW  - parenting
KW  - mother
KW  - depression
KW  - anxiety
KW  - RCT
KW  - randomized controlled trial
AB  - Background: Essential Coaching for Every Mother is an SMS text messaging program that positively improved parenting self-efficacy and reduced postpartum anxiety when measured immediately after intervention at 6 weeks postpartum. However, the impact of a short-term postpartum intervention over time is unknown. Objective: This study aims to compare parenting self-efficacy, postpartum anxiety symptoms, postpartum depression symptoms, and perceived social support at 6 months postpartum for mothers in the Essential Coaching for Every Mother trial. Methods: Participants (n=150) were randomized to Essential Coaching for Every Mother or control (usual care). Data were collected on parenting self-efficacy (primary outcome, Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale), postpartum anxiety symptoms (Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale), postpartum depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), and perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) at enrollment and 6-months postpartum. Data were analyzed using analyses of covariance and chi-square analysis. Results: A total of 139 women completed the primary outcome at 6 months and 136 completed secondary outcomes. At 6 months, there were no statistically significant differences between mothers in the intervention group and mothers in the control group on any of the outcomes. More mothers in the intervention group had higher postpartum anxiety scores (31/68, 45.6%) than mothers in the control group (16/68, 23.5%; P=.007). Conclusions: At 6 months postpartum, all mothers had similar scores on parenting self-efficacy, postpartum anxiety symptoms, postpartum depression symptoms, and social support. Thus, Essential Coaching for Every Mother improved parenting self-efficacy and reduced postpartum anxiety at 6 weeks, with all mothers having similar scores at 6 months postpartum. Trial Registration: ClincialTrials.gov NCT04730570; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04730570 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/27138 
SN  - 2561-6722
UR  - https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2025/1/e62841
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/62841
DO  - 10.2196/62841
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/62841
ER  -