title: Health promotion text blasts for minority adolescent mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine use of technology for delivering a health promotion intervention via text blasts in single, low-income, adolescent, minority mothers and to describe their perceptions and experiences with the intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study. Health promotion information was sent weekly in the form of text blasts and/or pictures to five mothers during the first 6 months postpartum. Topics included promotion of breastfeeding, effects of breast milk on infant growth and development, information about infant immunizations, and reminders about infant and maternal follow-up and well-being. Qualitative interviews occurred monthly with mothers about their perceptions and experiences with the health promotion intervention and their health promotion behaviors. Data were analyzed using qualitative analytic techniques to generate themes from the mothers' interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four themes emerged: (a) Trustworthy Support System, (b) Overcoming Barriers to Health Promotion, (c) Parenting Validation, and (d) Preferred Mode of Communication. All mothers used breast milk through 6 months postpartum and were adherent with childhood immunizations and maternal and infant follow-up appointments, unlike lower proportions in the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health promotion text blasts can improve single, low-income, adolescent, minority mothers' health behavior outcomes such as adherence with recommended immunizations for their infants, breastfeeding success, and recommended maternal and infant healthcare visits. Further, it is the preferred mode of communication for these mothers. Future studies are needed for examining the use of technology to deliver healthcare to a larger sample of minority adolescent mothers.
authors.affiliation: Sara Brown, is an Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. She can be reached via e-mail at sgoomis@unmc.edu and sgoomis@gmail.com Diane Brage Hudson is an Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, NE. Christie Campbell-Grossman is an Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, NE. Bernice C. Yates is a Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brage Hudson
authors.forename: Christie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell-Grossman
authors.forename: Bernice C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yates
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000193:education*; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education*; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*