Uptake of signposting to web-based resources: pregnant women’s use of a preventive web-based intervention

Signposting to web-based interventions is becoming increasingly popular in primary care. Most resources are focused on individuals with clinical problems, but less is known about the uptake of general practice (GP) signposted web-based interventions. GPs in Denmark are responsible for scheduled preventive care during pregnancy and the child’s first five years. In the “Family Well-being in General Practice” trial the web-based intervention “Resilientchild.dk” is introduced at these consultations. Resilientchild.dk is designed to improve the capacity of parents to understand the mental state of themselves, their partners, and their children. In this study we assess the uptake and use of this web-based intervention. To describe participant and practice characteristics associated with the use of a web-based psychoeducational intervention. Eligible participants were pregnant women presenting at their first antenatal assessment, usually around 6–10 gestational weeks. The study was nested in a cluster randomised trial of resilientchild.dk. We conducted a relative importance analysis, which allows for determination of the variables most strongly associated with website use. To assess the direction and magnitude of the influences of the identified variables, we applied multinomial generalized linear mixed modelling. A practice random effect allows us to account for clustering of women within practices. Parity and the absence of a nurse or midwife in the practice were important factors driving a decrease in the likelihood of using resilientchild.dk. Being a student or living outside the capital city were important factors driving an increase in the likelihood of using resilientchild.dk. The data offer unique opportunities to assess the utilisation of a web-based mental health-promotion intervention following advice from a clinician. This study draws conclusions about which patients are likely to access similar resources and which practice characteristics encourage their use. Registered in clinicaltrials.gov, Trial number: NCT04129359 Date of registration: 16/10/2019 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04129359 ).