Design and pilot usability study of a mobile self-care application supporting physical activity among low-risk pregnant women

Pregnancy is accompanied by changes that may affect women’s physical activity and ability to maintain healthy self-care practices. Mobile health applications offer a promising approach to providing accessible education and support during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to design and pilot-test the usability of a mobile-based self-care application focused on physical activity for pregnant women. A comprehensive literature review, along with expert consultation with a gynecologist, was conducted to identify the essential requirements and core features of the self-care application. An initial prototype was developed using the Figma platform and reviewed by three domain experts. After iterative refinements, the application was implemented in the Android development environment. Sixteen low-risk pregnant women without medical contraindications to physical activity, recruited by consecutive convenience sampling at Al-Zahra Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, used the application for one month, of whom thirteen completed the final evaluation. User experience was evaluated using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Following the one-month pilot period, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with the 13 participants who completed the evaluation to explore their experiences, patterns of use, perceived benefits, and suggestions for improvement. The findings demonstrated a generally positive user experience across all six UEQ dimensions (means ranging from 1.45 to 2.34 on a -3 to + 3 scale; Attractiveness = 1.85, Perspicuity = 2.34, Efficiency = 1.98, Dependability = 2.10, Stimulation = 1.45, and Novelty = 1.95), with all dimensions interpreted as positive evaluations. Participants reported perceiving improved awareness of self-care practices and found the application helpful for accessing educational content. Qualitative findings indicated perceived improvements in awareness of pregnancy-related physical activity and self-care. Participants appreciated the structured activity content and accessibility of the application, while the main recommendations for improvement, raised by a small number of participants, were more comprehensive nutritional information and medication-related precautions. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of deploying a Persian-language mobile self-care application integrating structured physical-activity content with complementary self-care information for low-risk pregnant women. The favorable UEQ results and qualitative findings suggest good preliminary usability and acceptability. However, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of increased physical activity or clinical effectiveness because objective behavioral outcomes were not measured. The small single-site sample, short follow-up period, Android-only design, and absence of usage logs further limit generalizability. Future studies should evaluate the application in larger and more diverse populations using longer follow-up and objective measures of physical activity and relevant maternal outcomes.