Institute of Nursing Research, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, United Kingdom.
Birth. 2011 Dec;38(4):336-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2011.00488.x. Epub 2011 Sep 6.
Women need access to evidence-based information to make informed choices in pregnancy. A search for health information is one of the major reasons that people worldwide access the Internet. Recent years have witnessed an increase in Internet usage by women seeking pregnancy-related information. The aim of this study was to build on previous quantitative studies to explore women's experiences and perceptions of using the Internet for retrieving pregnancy-related information, and its influence on their decision-making processes.
This global study drew on the interpretive qualitative traditions together with a theoretical model on information seeking, adapted to understand Internet use in pregnancy and its role in relation to decision-making. Thirteen asynchronous online focus groups across five countries were conducted with 92 women who had accessed the Internet for pregnancy-related information over a 3-month period. Data were readily transferred and analyzed deductively.
The overall analysis indicates that the Internet is having a visible impact on women's decision making in regards to all aspects of their pregnancy. The key emergent theme was the great need for information. Four broad themes also emerged: "validate information,""empowerment,""share experiences," and "assisted decision-making." Women also reported how the Internet provided support, its negative and positive aspects, and as a source of accurate, timely information.
Health professionals have a responsibility to acknowledge that women access the Internet for support and pregnancy-related information to assist in their decision-making. Health professionals must learn to work in partnership with women to guide them toward evidence-based websites and be prepared to discuss the ensuing information.
女性需要获取基于证据的信息，以便在怀孕时做出明智的选择。搜索健康信息是全球范围内人们上网的主要原因之一。近年来，女性上网搜索与怀孕相关的信息的人数有所增加。本研究旨在在前瞻性定量研究的基础上，探讨女性在使用互联网获取与怀孕相关的信息方面的经验和看法，以及其对决策过程的影响。
本全球研究借鉴了解释性定性传统以及关于信息搜索的理论模型，旨在理解怀孕期间互联网的使用及其与决策的关系。在五个国家进行了 13 次异步在线焦点小组讨论，参与者为 92 名在过去 3 个月内上网获取与怀孕相关信息的女性。数据可以直接传输和进行演绎分析。
总体分析表明，互联网对女性在怀孕的各个方面的决策都产生了显著影响。关键的新兴主题是对信息的巨大需求。还出现了四个广泛的主题：“验证信息”、“赋权”、“分享经验”和“辅助决策”。女性还报告了互联网如何提供支持、其优缺点，以及作为准确、及时信息的来源。
卫生专业人员有责任承认女性上网寻求支持和与怀孕相关的信息，以帮助她们做出决策。卫生专业人员必须学会与女性合作，引导她们访问基于证据的网站，并准备好讨论随之而来的信息。
