Usability Study of Gestational and Postpartum Weight Management Program

The aim of the Hope-D program is to develop a standardized model for gestational and postpartum weight management. The basic version of the Hope-D program will be considered ready for implementation in the subsequent intervention study once all sections of the System Usability Scale (SUS) reach a score above 68 within the same development period (sprint).

The SUS is a widely used, reliable, and valid instrument for evaluating the usability of various technologies, including digital products, systems, and services. It comprises ten statements rated on a five-point Likert scale, where 1 indicates strong disagreement and 5 indicates strong agreement. The total SUS score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better perceived usability. The SUS questionnaire has been translated into Finnish and is available for use free of charge.

General technical questions will address the usability aspects and general thematic questions, e.g., motivation to manage weight during and after pregnancy with a digital pathway for weight management. Participants' responses will provide qualitative insights to guide the further development of the Hope-D program. The responses will not be quantitatively scored, as there are no right or wrong answers. Instead, the data will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Themes and issues that emerge most frequently across interviews will be considered the most relevant usability concerns and will be given higher priority in the development guidelines than those mentioned only occasionally.

The general interview questions focus on the visibility and relevance of the weight management plan, the types of support perceived as motivational, clarity of goal-setting, and the appropriate timing for initiating and continuing weight management during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

Participants' responses will inform the development of the Hope-D application. The data will be analyzed qualitatively; responses will not be scaled or scored, and there are no right or wrong answers. Recurring themes identified across multiple interviews will be considered indicative of common needs and prioritized accordingly in the development of the application guidelines. Themes mentioned in single interviews will also be noted but will receive lower priority in the guideline development process.

The general interview questions explore whether group or individual coaching sessions add value to the digital pathway for weight management and general weight management plan. Themes include the perceived usefulness of coaching, optimal number and spacing of sessions, and the suitability of specific topics for either individual or group coaching formats. The answers of participants give investigators the guidelines for the development of Hope-D application. The answers themselves won't be scored; there aren't wrong or correct answers. Answers which repeat most commonly in the interviews are the most common issues and they will have higher priority in the guideline than answers which arise only in one interview.