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. 2024 Apr 7:10:20552076241242559.
doi: 10.1177/20552076241242559. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.

Promoting social, emotional, and cognitive development in early childhood: A protocol for early valuation of a culturally adapted digital tool for supporting optimal childrearing practices

Haley M LaMonica  1 , Yun J C Song  1 , Victoria Loblay  1   2 , Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar  1 , Aila Naderbagi  1 , Iqthyer Uddin Md Zahed  1 , Jakelin Troy  3 , Ian B Hickie  1
Affiliations

Promoting social, emotional, and cognitive development in early childhood: A protocol for early valuation of a culturally adapted digital tool for supporting optimal childrearing practices

Haley M LaMonica et al. Digit Health. .

Abstract

Objective: The Thrive by Five app promotes positive interactions between children and parents, extended family, and trusted community members that support optimal socio-emotional and cognitive development in the early years. This article aims to describe the protocol for a prospective mixed-methods multi-site study evaluating Thrive by Five using surveys, interviews, workshops, audio diaries from citizen ethnographers and app usage data.

Methods: The study activities and timelines differ by site, with an extensive longitudinal evaluation being conducted at two sites and a basic evaluation being conducted at five sites. The learnings from the more comprehensive evaluations inform the iterative research and development processes while also ensuring ongoing evaluation of usability, acceptability and effectiveness of the app and its content across varying contexts. The study evaluates: (1) the impact of the Thrive by Five content on caregiver knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and confidence; (2) how the content changes relationships at the familial, community and system level; (3) how cultural and contextual factors influence content engagement and effectiveness and (4) the processes that facilitate or disrupt the success of the implementation and dissemination.

Results: All in-country partners have been identified and data collection has been completed in Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Namibia and Cameroon.

Conclusions: Very few digital health solutions have been trialled for usability and effectiveness in diverse cultural contexts. By combining quantitative, qualitative, process and ethnographic methodologies, this innovative study informs the iterative and ongoing optimisation of the cultural and contextual sensitivity of the Thrive by Five content and the processes supporting implementation and dissemination.

Keywords: digital technology; early child development; evaluation; global health; mobile app; participatory research; qualitative research; smartphone.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: IBH is supported by a NHMRC L3 Investigator Grant (GNT2016346). He is the co-director, Health and Policy at the Brain and Mind Centre (BMC) University of Sydney. The BMC operates an early-intervention youth service at Camperdown under contract to headspace. He is the chief scientific advisor to, and a 3.2% equity shareholder in, InnoWell Pty Ltd which aims to lead transformation of mental health services internationally through the use of innovative technologies. VL is a board member for Matana Foundation, a philanthropic organisation that provides funding to programmes for disadvantaged young people in Australia. She does not receive any financial benefit for this role. No other authors have competing interests.

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