Factors Influencing Pregnant Women’s Seeking of Health Information

Authors

  • ปวีณา สุรินทร์ประทีป Master of Nursing Science Program in Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University.
  • เอมพร รตินธร Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University
  • ปิยะนันท์ ลิมเรืองรอง Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University

Keywords:

pregnant women, seeking of health information, perceived self-effcacy, social support

Abstract

Objective: To examine pregnant women’s behaviour in seeking and deciding on health information, and factors influencing them to seek health information.

Design: Predictive research.

Methodology: The study sample consisted of 120 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at Lampang Hospital during September to October 2018. Data were collected using fve instruments: (1) a demographic information form; (2) a social support questionnaire; (3) a questionnaire on perceived self-effcacy in acquiring health information; (4) a pregnancy health information-seeking scale; and (5) a questionnaire on topics of information and reasons for information source selection. The data were analysed based on percentage, mean, standard deviation, multiple regression analysis, and content analysis.

Results: According to the study, the participants sought information from various sources covering different topics, such as fetal health and appropriate health practices for healthy mothers and babies. Their main purpose of information seeking was to evaluate their symptoms and abnormalities, as well as to fnd best self-care practices. Most of the participants obtained information from the internet because of its convenience; however, they most likely trusted and acted on the information provided by physicians, nurses and other healthcare personnel, whom they considered to be experts in pregnancy care. In terms of predictability, the combined factors of age, education level, family income, number of pregnancies, perceived self-effcacy in acquiring health information, and social support could signifcantly predict up to 51.3% (R2 = .513, F = 19.85, p < .05) of the pregnant women’s seeking of health information. When analysed individually, however, only education level, family income, perceived self-effcacy in acquiring health information, and social support were found capable of signifcantly predicting the pregnant women’s seeking of health information (β = .292,
p < .0001; β = .183, p = .012; β = .357, p < .0001; and β = .230, p = .011, respectively).

Recommendations: Health-care personnel should prepare accurate health information on various health issues according to pregnant women’s and their families’ needs, and disseminate it via a conveniently accessible medium, like the internet. In addition, a channel of communication between pregnant women and health-care personnel should be established, with a special emphasis on serving customers who have limited access to information, such as those with low education, income and social support.

References

1. Lalazaryan A, Zare-Farashbandi F. A review of models and theories of health information seeking
behavior. Int J Health Syst Disaster Manage 2014; 2(4): 193-203.
2. Shieh C, Broome ME, Stump TE. Factors associated with health information-seeking in low-income
pregnant women. Women & health 2010; 50(5): 426-42.
3. Shieh C, McDaniel A, Ke I. Information-seeking and its predictors in low-income pregnant women.
J Midwifery Women’s Health 2009; 54(5): 364-72.
4. Criss S, JA WB, Goldman RE, Perkins M, Cunningham C, Taveras EM. The role of health information sources in decision-making among hispanic mothers during their children’s frst 1000 days of life. Matern
Child Health J 2015; 19(11): 2536-43.
5. Sayakhot P, Carolan-Olah M. Internet use by pregnant women seeking pregnancy-related information: a
systematic review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2016; 16(1): 65-74.
6. Willcox JC, Campbell KJ, McCarthy EA, Lappas M, Ball K, Crawford D, Wilkinson S A, et al. Gestational
weight gain information: seeking and sources among pregnant women. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2015; 15(1): 164-73.
7. Grimes HA, Forster DA, Newton MS. Sources of information used by women during pregnancy to meet
their information needs. Midwifery 2014; 30(1): e26-33.
8. Kavlak O, Atan ŞÜ, Güleç D, Öztürk R, Atay N. Pregnant women’s use of the internet in relation to
their pregnancy in Izmir, Turkey. Inform Health Soc Ca 2012; 37(4): 253-63.
9. Lagan BM, Sinclair M, George Kernohan W. Internet use in pregnancy informs women’s decision making:
a web-based survey. Birth 2010; 37(2): 106-15.
10. Guillory J, Niederdeppe J, Kim H, Pollak J, Graham M, Olson C, et al. Does social support predict pregnant
mothers’ information seeking behaviors on an educational website? Matern Child Health J 2014; 18(9): 2218-25.
11. Jankrajank S, Tachasuksri T, Suppaseemanont W. Factors influencing health information seeking behavior
using the internet among pregnant women. The Journal of Faculty of Nursing Burapha University
2018; 26(4): 1-9. (in Thai)
12. Wilson TD. Information behaviour: an interdisciplinary perspective. Inf Process Manag 1997; 33(4): 551-72.
13. Klinar I, Balažin A, Baršić B, Tiljak H. Identifcation of general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction
of internet-based medical consultation service users in Croatia. Croat Med J 2011; 52(4): 557-65.107
14. Powe BD. Health information seeking among rural african americans, caucasians, and hispanics: it is built,
did they come? Nurs Clin North Am 2015; 50(3): 531-43.
15. Das A, Sarkar M. Pregnancy-related health informationseeking behaviors among rural pregnant women in India: validating the Wilson model in the Indian context. Yale J Bio Med 2014; 87(3): 251-62.
16. Nualyong A, Athaseri S, Phancharoenworakul K, Chandaragga Y. The relationship among perception
of disease, social support, and self-care behavior in pregnancy induced hypertension patients [Thesis]. Bangkok: Mahidol University; 1992. (in Thai)
17. House JS. Work stress and social support [Internet]. Philippines: Addison-Wesley; 1981 [cited 2017
Dec 1]. Available from: https://babel.hathitrust. org/cgi/pt?id=mdp. 39015071886035;view=2
up;seq=1;size=200.
18. Gustafson DH, McTavish FM, Stengle W, Ballard D, Hawkins R, Shaw BR, et al. Use and impact of
eHealth system by low-income women with breast cancer. J Health Commun 2005; 10(S1):195-218.
19. Garnweidner LM, Pettersen KS, Mosdøl A. Experiences with nutrition-related information during antenatal care
of pregnant women of different ethnic backgrounds residing in the area of Oslo, Norway. Midwifery 2013; 29(12): e130-7.
20. Owusu-Addo SB, Owusu-Addo E, & Morhe ES. Health information-seeking behaviours among
pregnant teenagers in Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Ghana. Midwifery 2016; 41: 110-7.

Downloads

Published

2019-10-01

How to Cite

1.
สุรินทร์ประทีป ป, รตินธร เ, ลิมเรืองรอง ป. Factors Influencing Pregnant Women’s Seeking of Health Information. J Thai Nurse midwife Counc [Internet]. 2019 Oct. 1 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];34(4):95-107. Available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/TJONC/article/view/182464