Pregnancy e-health: Characterizing pregnant women with information seeking behavior regarding internet and smartphone application use

Objective: This study examines the prevalence of internet and smartphone application use during pregnancy in a german sample and explores the characteristics of pregnant women seeking online information and the factors influencing their decision making after their consultation.

Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics in a large University Hospital. Data was collected through a self-styled, validated questionnaire. Patients were asked about their sociodemographic status, their use of internet and online applications, their partnership quality, level of satisfaction and decision making in pregnancy. Descriptic statistics and regression analysis were used.

Results: The majority of women were online information seekers. 62% of women already used the internet for medical information, 24% used a smartphone pregnancy application and more than 53% were interested in using one. Women using e-health information showed a higher level of education, were more likely to work fulltime and to have experienced complications in an earlier pregnancy. Decision making processes were highly influenced by available online information.

Conclusion: The internet and smartphone applications are widely used as a source of information among pregnant women. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the high percentage of women using the internet to find information and its influence on the decision making process. Future programs should establish quality control among online information sites.