This dissertation presents the findings from three participatory focus group and co-design sessions with Caribbean transmigrant women in the United States. Informed by their focus group discussions regarding their pregnancy experiences in the United States, the participants produced design ideas that reflected on physical, emotional, informational and social gap themes. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges affecting the women’s prenatal wellbeing practices, and to conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for mHealth technology design to assist with prenatal preventative care and management. The study uses the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to identify gaps in prenatal health management, and understand participants’ reflection on these gaps through design. Then, the study identifies opportunities for mHealth and HCI research to consider designing tailored interventions to the realities of the expecting immigrant mother, including the role of transnational social support, and embracing the role of entertainment in mental health during pregnancy.
","abstract_html":"<p>This dissertation presents the findings from three participatory focus group and co-design sessions with Caribbean transmigrant women in the United States. Informed by their focus group discussions regarding their pregnancy experiences in the United States, the participants produced design ideas that reflected on physical, emotional, informational and social gap themes. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges affecting the women’s prenatal wellbeing practices, and to conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for mHealth technology design to assist with prenatal preventative care and management. The study uses the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to identify gaps in prenatal health management, and understand participants’ reflection on these gaps through design. Then, the study identifies opportunities for mHealth and HCI research to consider designing tailored interventions to the realities of the expecting immigrant mother, including the role of transnational social support, and embracing the role of entertainment in mental health during pregnancy.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["AlJaberi, Hana"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Technology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["James L. Mohler","Suranjan Panigrahi","Howard Sypher","David M. Whittinghill"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-02-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-02-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:53:47Z","subjects":["Social sciences","Communication and the arts","Health and environmental sciences","Education","Caribbean","Immigrant women","Pregnancy ecology","Prenatal health","Transnational","mHealth","Art and Design","Communication","Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication","Medicine and Health Sciences","Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/615","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["James L. Mohler","Suranjan Panigrahi","Howard Sypher","David M. Whittinghill"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["AlJaberi, Hana"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Technology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Social sciences","Communication and the arts","Health and environmental sciences","Education","Caribbean","Immigrant women","Pregnancy ecology","Prenatal health","Transnational","mHealth","Art and Design","Communication","Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication","Medicine and Health Sciences","Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/615"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation presents the findings from three participatory focus group and co-design sessions with Caribbean transmigrant women in the United States. Informed by their focus group discussions regarding their pregnancy experiences in the United States, the participants produced design ideas that reflected on physical, emotional, informational and social gap themes. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges affecting the women’s prenatal wellbeing practices, and to conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for mHealth technology design to assist with prenatal preventative care and management. The study uses the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to identify gaps in prenatal health management, and understand participants’ reflection on these gaps through design. Then, the study identifies opportunities for mHealth and HCI research to consider designing tailored interventions to the realities of the expecting immigrant mother, including the role of transnational social support, and embracing the role of entertainment in mental health during pregnancy.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Designing prenatal m-Health interventions through transmigrants reflection on their pregnancy ecology"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["James L. Mohler","Suranjan Panigrahi","Howard Sypher","David M. Whittinghill"],"dc:creator":["AlJaberi, Hana"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation presents the findings from three participatory focus group and co-design sessions with Caribbean transmigrant women in the United States. Informed by their focus group discussions regarding their pregnancy experiences in the United States, the participants produced design ideas that reflected on physical, emotional, informational and social gap themes. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges affecting the women’s prenatal wellbeing practices, and to conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for mHealth technology design to assist with prenatal preventative care and management. The study uses the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to identify gaps in prenatal health management, and understand participants’ reflection on these gaps through design. Then, the study identifies opportunities for mHealth and HCI research to consider designing tailored interventions to the realities of the expecting immigrant mother, including the role of transnational social support, and embracing the role of entertainment in mental health during pregnancy.
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