Illustrative quotations mapped onto Sekhon et al.’s (2017) model of acceptability themes.
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SETTLE
The second component, Affective Attitude, refers to the feelings expressed by participants towards the study. Twenty-four participants expressed positive feelings (“interesting”, “enjoyable”) towards study participation, or using a sling or the sling library.The third component is Ethicality, which is defined as the extent to which the study fits with participants’ values. Twelve participants reported that it felt positive to contribute to research, and 14 participants reported that completing the outcome measures offered them the opportunity to reflect on their mental health and experiences of motherhood. Whilst the majority of participants spoke about this as a positive, two mothers found it distressing.The fourth component is Intervention Coherence, which refers to participants’ understanding of the intervention. Most participants did not comment on their understanding of the intervention or of the study as a whole. However, participants described the sling library sessions as informative or helpful when learning to use their sling (n = 19). One participant described outcome measure questions as “confusing”.The fifth component is Opportunity Costs, which is the extent to which participants gave up benefits or values to engage in the intervention (study). Participants appeared to report gains rather than losses, such as gaining free sling hire (n = 7), being made aware of the sling library (n = 6), and the practical benefits and increased freedom of using a sling (n = 13). Some participants reported wanting more sling options (n = 8) and one-to-one sling library consultations or further sessions (n = 9), to be included in the intervention.The sixth component is Perceived Effectiveness, defined as the extent to which participants view the intervention as likely to achieve its purpose. Participants described the sling and support intervention as useful or helpful (n = 11) and sling library staff as friendly and knowledgeable (n = 16). Participants listed a number of positive effects of the intervention, including: their baby enjoying being in the sling and being easier to soothe or settle when in the sling (n = 14), feeling closer, or bonding, with their baby, feeling more confident as a parent (n = 20), and the opportunity to meet other parents (n = 10). Twenty-four participants reported positive and effective experiences of the sling library specifically. Eight described their sling library session as rushed or overwhelming.The final component is Self-Efficacy, which refers to participants’ confidence in their ability to implement the intervention. Attending the sling library session and practice were described by participants as helpful for building confidence in using a sling (n = 8).