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The effect of online health information seeking among pregnant hospitalized women: a cohort study
Fabiana Coglianese;
Giulia Beltrame Vriz;
Nicola Soriani;
Gianluca Niccolò Piras;
Rosanna Irene Comoretto;
Laura Clemente;
Jessica Fasan;
Lucia Cristiano;
Valentina Schiavinato;
Walter Adamo;
Diego Marchesoni;
Dario Gregori
ABSTRACT
Background:
Pregnant women at high-risk for obstetric complications are about 1,000,000 per year, and more than the half of them require hospitalization.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the relation between online health information seeking and anxiety levels among a sample of hospitalized woman with pregnancy-related problems.
Methods:
A sample of 105 subjects, all with an obstetric complication diagnosis, completed different questionnaires: UIH questionnaire about the use of the Internet, EQ-5D questionnaire on quality of life, STAI questionnaire measuring general anxiety levels, and a questionnaire about critical events occurring during hospitalization.
Results:
Ninety-three percent of the considered sample used internet at home to obtain non-specific information about health in general and 90% of the sample used internet to look specifically for their obstetric disease. Online health information seeking behavior substantially decreased the anxiety levels.
Conclusions:
Web browsing for health information was shown to be associated with anxiety reduction, suggesting that internet can be a useful instrument in assisting professional intervention to control and possibly reduce discomfort and anxiety in complicated pregnancies.