JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Social media has become the most popular communication tool used by Chinese citizens, including expectant mothers. An increasing number of women have adopted various forms of social media, such as interactive websites, instant messaging, and software applications (apps), to solve problems experienced during pregnancy. Although the use of the Internet by pregnant women has been studied extensively worldwide, limited exist that explore the changing social media usage in China where the one-child policy ended in 2015.

Objective:

This study intends to a) identify major patterns in pregnancy-related information seeking, b) present the status quos of information sharing on social media applications for pregnancy-related information, and c) reveal the impact derived from social media usage among expectant mothers.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was employed to examine the social media usage and its consequences by pregnant women. 20 conceiving women during various stages of pregnancy were interviewed from 1st July – 25th August 2017. Data collected was subjected to a grounded theory analysis.

Results:

80% (n=16) of participants were in their 20s (M=28.5, S.D.=4.3). More than 90% of the participants had used social media for pregnancy-related purposes. Most of the pregnant women were ‘lurkers’ i.e. viewing, but not participating, and they preferred not to engage in random conversations on social media. However, they were active in private talks via social media. Meanwhile, the most frequently discussed concern was the do’s and don’ts during pregnancy, and subconsciously avoiding bad news on social media. In terms of patterns in user behavior, they tended to cross-reference multiple sources on social media for accuracy, and credibility, with relation to healthcare provision. Most of the participants reported a positive impact on informed decision making and mental stability.

Conclusions:

It is indisputable that social media has played an increasingly important role in supporting expectant women in China. Their trust of social media-based pregnancy-related sources were varied, and highly dependent on the authoritativeness of the providers as well as their understanding of prenatal care. As pregnancy, in Chinese culture, has a ‘vulnerable’ stigma attached, it makes pregnant women only active within closed groups. Future prenatal care delivery should utilize the unique seeking and sharing behavior patterns to maximize the positive benefit of pregnant women in China, as well as reducing the inequality of social media-based services caused by digital divide.