Exploring the Motivations of Pregnant Women to Seek Health Information: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Health information-seeking behavior is directed by various factors. Understanding the motivations of pregnant women to obtain health information can facilitate evidence-based policy-making to enhance their health literacy. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the motivations of pregnant women to seek health information. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study with a content analysis approach, 39 participants, including pregnant women, midwives, and gynecologists in Isfahan city, Iran, were selected via purposive sampling with maximum variation strategy. Individual interviews, field notes, and daily notes were used to collect data, which was then analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis. Results: Analysis of data resulted in one main category of "strive to protect the health of mother and fetus." This main category consisted of four subcategories, including "increasing information related to maternal and fetal health," "preventing recurring problems or causing complications in pregnancy," "reducing worry about pregnancy problem," and "receiving encouragement from the spouse, relatives, and healthcare providers." Conclusions: According to the findings, pregnant women seek health information for a variety of reasons, including learning more about their own health and that of their fetus, preventing recurring problems or complications, alleviating concerns about pregnancy problems, and receiving encouragement from husbands, relatives, and healthcare providers. Thus, health professionals, midwives, and antenatal care providers should be aware of these issues and provide more evidence-based information to pregnant women at the time they require it.

Exploring Women's Health Information Needs During Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Pregnant women need health information to ensure their health and to have a healthy delivery. Therefore, equipping them with adequate information can bring desired health outcomes for them and their fetus. The present study was conducted to explore health information needs of women during pregnancy. Materials and methods: The present research was a qualitative study. Thirty-nine participants (pregnant women, midwives, and obstetricians) were selected through purposeful sampling in Isfahan from June to November 2016. Data were collected through in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews, daily notes and field notes. Results: Data analysis led to emergence of ten sub-categories including: "common complaints during pregnancy", "problems and complications in pregnancy", "factors affecting fetal health", "proper nutrition and take supplements during pregnancy", "sex during pregnancy", "exercise during pregnancy", "diagnostic tests in pregnancy", "fetal growth and development", "types of childbirth and preparation for delivery" and "baby care and breastfeeding" and finally the main category was the "health information needs". Conclusion: Regarding the health information requests of pregnant women, their needs should be identified and taken into consideration when planning educational programs for this group of women.

Challenges to access health information during pregnancy in Iran: a qualitative study from the perspective of pregnant women, midwives and obstetricians.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate health information seeking behavior can play an effective role in self-care and promotion of women's quality of life during pregnancy. However, different barriers can impede pregnant women while accessing health information. The aim of this research was to explain challenges to access health information during pregnancy. METHODS: The present qualitative study was carried out on 28 participants who were selected using the purposeful sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field notes, and daily notes; data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: The main barriers to access health information during pregnancy were as follows: many duties of women at home as well as out-of-home education and employment, inability to make distinction between correct and incorrect information, insufficient interactions between women and healthcare providers, failure to access to various information resources, common complaints of pregnancy, and stress and anxiety of confronting the problems during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, pregnant women experienced personal, social, and structural barriers when accessing health information. Therefore, policymakers and health planners should remove the barriers, encourage self-care, and enhance the quality of life for pregnant women, thus, promoting their health status in the end.

Internet Usage among Pregnant Women for Seeking Health Information: A Review Article.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the Internet has become one of the most popular sources of health information for users, and pregnant women are no exception. This study aimed to investigate Internet usage among pregnant women for achieving health information on the finding of related studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This review study was conducted by searching databases such as IranMedex, Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Irandoc, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Scopus in December 2016. Restrictions were placed on publication to within 16 years and language of publication was restricted to English and Persian. Keywords used in the search included information-seeking behavior, information-seeking, information needs, access to information, pregnancy, and pregnant women. RESULTS: This search resulted in 106 related publications and among them sixteen articles met inclusion criteria. This review showed that the use of the Internet by pregnant women was driven by information needs, ease, and speed of access and finding people with the same situation. Fetal development, symptoms, and complications of pregnancy, prenatal tests and nutrition, activities during pregnancy, and stages of delivery were the most often mentioned topics of interest. The benefits of internet use include reduced anxiety, personal support, creating an emotional connection and an increased confidence. CONCLUSIONS: Health providers must have sufficient ability for interpreting the achieved information from the Internet and should allocate efficient amount of time for discussing information-seeking manners with pregnant women. Furthermore, they must try to respond to the doubts of pregnant women and provide valid and reliable online educational resources.