City Research Online

Abstract

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable risk factor for postnatal depression (PND) and programs are needed to enhance PA amongst women at risk of PND. Key stakeholder involvement in informing development and implementation of such programs is vital. However, little research demonstrates key stakeholder insights to inform the design and delivery of PA programs for improving PND. The aim of this study was to explore key stakeholder perspectives on the design and delivery of a home-based PA program for mothers with PND symptoms to inform future real-world implementation and scale-up.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from various key stakeholder organisations involved in postnatal PA and/or mental health, public health and policy in Australia (n = 11). Interviews were conducted between September to November 2019 and explored stakeholder perceptions on the design and delivery of a home-based PA program for mothers with PND symptoms. The interview schedule was informed by both the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the PRACTical planning for Implementation and Scale-up (PRACTIS) guide. Data were analysed thematically using both deductive and inductive coding.

Results: The relative priority of PND and PA was high for most organisations involved, although none implemented PA programs supporting women at risk of PND. Most stakeholders perceived the program as appealing due to addressing barriers to postnatal PA, although identified some feasibility issues regarding funding and delivery mechanisms. Suggestions for program adaptations included an equity focus (e.g. providing socioeconomically disadvantaged women with a greater program dose; translating web-app based content into various languages). Planned components of the program were suggested to align (i.e. relative advantage) with existing initiatives (e.g. equipment hire for nurseries scheme) and screening systems for PND (timing of referral). Perceived barriers to scale-up included logistics/cost of equipment, organisational capacity demands and safety risks/liability. Perceived enablers to scale-up included linking the program with ‘adjunct’ programs and services.

Conclusions: While the program was appealing and most organisations could see a role in endorsing and/or referring to the program, funding and delivery mechanisms still need to be identified.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© The Author(s). 2021 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Publisher Keywords:	Physical activity, Postnatal depression, Program, Co-design, Implementation, Interviews, CFIR, Research translation
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RG Gynecology and obstetrics R Medicine > RT Nursing
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Midwifery & Radiography
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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