Karin Ängeby is a midwife and researcher in Värmland. For more than ten years she has studied early labour: how long it lasts, how women experience it, and whether digital support can help first-time parents feel more prepared. Here is her published research, and where it is going next.
2018 – 2025
A PhD on early labour, then the ELSA Birth App: designed, piloted and tested in a randomised trial.
Published
Autumn 2026
Plain-language summaries, written with Karin and approved by her before they go live.
Approved by Karin
Nov 2026 – 2028
Karin is principal investigator for the planned Triple Helix programme, where Karlstad University evaluates Omaia independently.
Planned
Karin’s research in plain language, in the order it was done. Each piece is approved by Karin before it goes live.
Research to Knowledge · 2015 – 2019
Karin Ängeby · Region Värmland and Karlstad University
A long early phase of labour happened in almost one in four births, far more often than earlier studies had found.
Based on 4 papers
Research to Knowledge · 2023
Karin Ängeby · Region Värmland and Karlstad University
Women found the app simple and useful, and rated it 85 out of 100 for ease of use.
Based on 2 papers
Research to Knowledge · 2025
Karin Ängeby · Region Värmland and Karlstad University
Fear of a future birth went down from pregnancy to after birth in both groups that used the app.
Based on 1 paper
The published papers behind this research in plain language, newest first. Every claim traces to one of them.
Testing the ELSA Birth App During Pregnancy and Labor for Primiparous Women: Randomized Controlled Trial
Ängeby K, Johansson M, Børøsund E, Varsi C, Iwaya LH, Nordin A. J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e72807.
A mobile application for early labour support: feasibility pilot study
Fritzson M, Nordin A, Børøsund E, Johansson M, Varsi C, Ängeby K. Women Birth 2023;36(6):495–503.
Early Labour App: developing a practice-based mobile health application for digital early labour support
Iwaya LH, Nordin A, Fritsch L, Børøsund E, Johansson M, Varsi C, Ängeby K. Int J Med Inform 2023;177:105139.
Women’s labour experiences and quality of care in relation to a prolonged latent phase of labour
Ängeby K, Sandin-Bojö A, Persenius M, Wilde-Larsson B. Midwifery 2019;77:155–164.
Early Labour Experience Questionnaire: psychometric testing and women’s experiences in a Swedish setting
Ängeby K, Sandin-Bojö AK, Persenius M, Wilde-Larsson B. Midwifery 2018;64:77–84.
Prevalence of prolonged latent phase and labor outcomes: review of birth records in a Swedish population
Ängeby K, Wilde-Larsson B, Hildingsson I, Sandin-Bojö AK. J Midwifery Womens Health 2018;63(1):33–44.
Prolonged latent phase of labour (PhD thesis)
Ängeby K. Karlstad University, December 2018.
Primiparous women’s preferences for care during a prolonged latent phase of labour
Ängeby K, Wilde-Larsson B, Hildingsson I, Sandin-Bojö AK. Sex Reprod Healthc 2015;6(3):145–150.
Karin’s published studies were not about Omaia, and their results say nothing about Omaia’s effect. We share them because they show the knowledge the research group brings to the planned Triple Helix programme.
Omaia is a non-medical wellbeing service. It makes no diagnosis, gives no treatment, and does not replace contact with a midwife or doctor. Research to Knowledge is approved by the researchers before publication.
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