Prescott Julie, Mackie Lynn
Education and Psychology, University of Bolton, Bolton, United Kingdom.
J Med Internet Res. 2017 Jun 5;19(6):e194. doi: 10.2196/jmir.6302.
The Web is becoming increasingly popular for gaining information on medical or health issues; with women in particular likely to search online for this type of information and support. Despite the increased use of the Web for health-related information, we need to question whether the Web and the ease of seeking health information that it provides leads to more (patient) empowerment. As well as being a time of joy and expectations, pregnancy can be a worrying time for women, especially first time mums-to-be, with unfamiliar experiences and symptoms and concerns for the baby as well as the self.
Our aim was to explore how and why pregnant women use the Web to gain information and support during pregnancy and what they consider a reliable source.
To meet the objectives of the study, a qualitative approach was required to gather information on the experiences of currently pregnant women who use the Web to gain information and support during their pregnancy. Sixteen pregnant women took part in a semistructured interview, either face-to-face or via telephone. The interviews took place from January to March 2016, all participants were from England, and the health professionals are all employed by the National Health Service (NHS). Qualitative analytical procedures were employed using inductive thematic analysis supported by NVivo software (QSR International).
Pregnant women found reassurance from the experiences of others. This reassurance resulted in them feeling less alone, as well as enabling them to normalize any symptoms or experiences they were undergoing. The women understood that caution was needed at times while reading the stories of others, acknowledging the potential for extreme cases or worst case scenarios. This is particularly pertinent to the Web, as this wide range of stories may not be as easily accessible if stories where confined to those in a woman's offline social circle. The interviews provide insights into how and why pregnant women search online for information and perhaps more so, support while pregnant.
Searching for health information and advice online during pregnancy is viewed as quick, easy, and accessible. The affordances of the Web have provided women the opportunity to go online as a first port of call. Knowing they were not alone and reading the experiences or symptoms of other pregnant women enabled women to normalize their experience and was ultimately reassuring for pregnant women.
网络在获取医疗或健康问题信息方面越来越受欢迎；尤其是女性更有可能在网上搜索此类信息并寻求支持。尽管网络在健康相关信息方面的使用有所增加，但我们需要质疑网络及其提供的便捷的健康信息获取方式是否会带来更多（患者）赋权。怀孕不仅是一个充满喜悦和期待的时期，对女性来说，尤其是初次怀孕的准妈妈，可能也是一个令人担忧的时期，她们会有陌生的经历、症状，会担心腹中胎儿以及自身。
我们的目的是探究孕妇如何以及为何在孕期利用网络获取信息和支持，以及她们认为可靠的信息来源是什么。
为实现研究目标，需要采用定性研究方法来收集有关当前怀孕且在孕期利用网络获取信息和支持的女性经历的信息。16名孕妇参加了半结构化访谈，访谈通过面对面或电话方式进行。访谈于2016年1月至3月进行，所有参与者均来自英格兰，且健康专业人员均受雇于国民医疗服务体系（NHS）。采用定性分析程序，运用由NVivo软件（QSR国际公司）支持的归纳主题分析法。
孕妇从他人的经历中获得安慰。这种安慰使她们感觉不那么孤单，也使她们能够将正在经历的任何症状或经历正常化。这些女性明白，在阅读他人的故事时有时需要谨慎，承认存在极端情况或最坏情况的可能性。这一点在网络方面尤为相关，因为如果故事仅限于女性线下社交圈子中的那些故事，那么如此广泛的故事可能就不那么容易获取了。这些访谈深入了解了孕妇如何以及为何在孕期在线搜索信息，或许更重要的是，了解她们在孕期寻求支持的情况。
孕期在网上搜索健康信息和建议被视为快捷、简便且容易获取。网络的便利为女性提供了将上网作为首选途径的机会。知道自己并不孤单，阅读其他孕妇的经历或症状使女性能够将自己的经历正常化，最终让孕妇感到安心。
