JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Social media has become a common source of child health information for parents, although the quality of information varies. Parents typically use multiple information sources, and it remains unclear whether their choice to use social media reflects parenting concerns or specific information needs.

Objective:

This study aimed to identify the sociodemographic characteristics, parenting concerns, information needs, and social resources associated with the use of social media as a source of child health information among parents of infants and young children in Japan.

Methods:

We conducted a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional online survey administered between May 20 and July 20, 2025, to readers of a free parenting magazine distributed through health insurance associations to households with children aged 3-18 months. Social media use was identified from a multiple-response item on information sources. Parenting concerns (14 items across the child-related, lifestyle-change, and interpersonal domains) and information needs (7 child health items and 6 parenting items) were summarized as count scores. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were estimated using complete-case data.

Results:

Of 1186 submissions, 1,088 parents were included after the exclusion of duplicate submissions and 1 nonparent respondent. Mothers accounted for 92.1% of respondents, and the mean age was 33.3 years. A total of 708 (65.1%) respondents reported using social media. In the fully adjusted model (n=925), the number of child health information needs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.24, 95% CI 1.11-1.39), the number of parenting information needs (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.28), younger parental age (aOR per 1-year increase 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.97), and being a mother (aOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.18-3.23) were associated with social media use, whereas childcare facility use was inversely associated with social media use (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.36-0.79). Interpersonal concerns were associated with social media use before adjustment for information needs (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.37), but this association was attenuated and the estimate was less precise in the fully adjusted model (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 0.99-1.32). Child-related and lifestyle-change concerns were not associated with social media use in any of the multivariable models.

Conclusions:

Among parents of infants and young children in Japan who read a free parenting magazine, social media use was consistently associated with information needs, particularly child health information needs, whereas associations with parenting concerns were weak or absent. Digital health communication for parents, including professionally curated content on social media, may need to address the specific topics parents seek, encompassing both medical and everyday parenting topics. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the temporal relationships.