Evaluation of the Early Years South Australia mobile application.

Abstract

Background: Released in July 2023 by the Office for Early Child Development in South Australia (SA), the Early Years SA mobile app supports parents of children aged 0-5 years with features including health check reminders, developmental milestone information, and a broad range of parenting resources. This study evaluated user awareness, engagement, and overall experience to identify areas for improvement and enhance the app's impact on child health outcomes in SA.

Methods: The app was promoted through state-wide campaigns, including social media, parenting expos, and healthcare professional referrals, with an estimated eligible population of ~ 52,000 families with children aged 0-5 years in SA. Participants were app users and parents/caregivers of children aged 0-5 years in SA. A mixed-methods approach included four sub-studies: (1) Analysis of app usage statistics; (2) Usability evaluation via the System Usability Scale survey; (3) Assessment of app awareness and behaviour change through a population-level survey; and (4) Qualitative feedback from semi-structured interviews and an in-person focus group.

Results: In its first year, the app attracted 16,411 downloads and 12,289 users, with 4,272 active users in July 2024. The most accessed pages related to newborn sleep, immunisations, and early feeding. The System Usability Scale (n = 415) scored 82.5/100, indicating "excellent" usability. Population survey data (n = 324) showed 17% of South Australian parents of 0-5-year-olds were aware of the app, and among users, 17% reported it influenced their decision to access child health checks and immunisations. Qualitative feedback (n = 17) highlighted appreciation for the app's user-friendly layout, credible Australian-focused information, and convenient, age-based resources as a digital companion to the My Health and Development Record (Blue Book). Suggested improvements included clarifying age-specific content organisation, adding comprehensive feeding and sleep tracking, and incorporating content for diverse family structures, cultural backgrounds, and neurodivergence.

Conclusion: The Early Years SA app shows strong usability and early evidence of positively influencing health service use. Future improvements should aim to expand reach and enrich content while preserving its user-friendly design. This evaluation offers baseline data for continued monitoring of awareness, usage, and impact on child health outcomes.