Abstract
Introduction: Health coaching is an innovative model of health promotion, empowering individuals to enhance self-care, make informed choices, and develop health knowledge and skills. Integrating digital technologies like mobile apps, web platforms, wearables, and artificial intelligence into health coaching enables personalized, accessible, and continuous support to improve disease management. In maternal health, digital coaching promotes healthy behaviors in nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and mental well-being. This review explores digital health coaching interventions during pregnancy and their impact on maternal and fetal outcomes.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of English-language articles from 2000 until December 2024 in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, and Google Scholar. Keywords that formed the search strategy were “digital health”,” health coaching “,”pregnancy” along with synonyms and related terms.
Results: Thirty- one studies were included. Most interventions used smartphones, text messaging, coaching applications, virtual sessions, and wearable devices focusing on nutrition and physical activity to manage weight and gestational diabetes. Nutritionists, obstetricians, and midwives were the main contributors, using motivational interviewing, goal setting, and social cognitive theories. Outcomes showed acceptability and satisfaction in 45% of studies, feasibility in 35%, and effectiveness in lifestyle behaviors in 68%. Improvements in weight management, glycemic control, and body composition were observed in 42% of studies.10% noted benefits in maternal and newborn health. One study reported cost-effectiveness; however, some found no significant differences in gestational weight gain or diabetes.
Conclusion: Digital health coaching in pregnancy can have favorable potential to support mothers’ health and change their behavior. However, more research is needed on the most effective components, including psychological aspects and socio-economic measures.