Teaford Dominique, McNiesh Susan, Goyal Deepika
Dominique Teaford is a Lecturer, The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, San José State University, San Jose, CA. Susan McNiesh is a Professor Emerita, The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, San José State University, San Jose, CA. Deepika Goyal is a Professor, The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, San José State University, San Jose, CA. The author can be reached via e-mail at
MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2019 Jan/Feb;44(1):40-45. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000489.
To explore women's experiences with an online forum during the postpartum period.
All women involved in an online postpartum "birth club" on Babycenter.com during the first 6 months postpartum were invited to participate in the study. Participant characteristics and baseline mental well-being data were obtained along with their response to three open-ended questions about their experiences participating in an online mothers group. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyze data.
Women (N = 393) who responded to open-ended questions were 29.2 (SD = 5.3) years old, Caucasian (85%), married or in a committed relationship (81%), and lived in the United States (75%). Ninety percent (n = 354) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening Scale, of whom 18% (n = 65) scored ≥13, indicating risk of developing postpartum depression. Data analysis revealed five themes. The themes were integrated under the holistic concept of community and included 1) social support; 2) anonymity; 3) in-groups; 4) drama; and 5) entertainment/pastime.
Findings suggest online forums can provide social support for new mothers. They can facilitate sharing of information, act as a source of entertainment, and provide a sense of community for participants who might otherwise feel isolated due to the demands of new motherhood. Nurses working with childbearing women should be aware of the positive and negative aspects of online forums so they can support new mothers who choose to participate.
探讨女性在产后期间参与在线论坛的经历。
邀请产后头6个月内在Babycenter.com上参与在线产后“分娩俱乐部”的所有女性参与研究。获取参与者的特征和基线心理健康数据，以及她们对关于参与在线母亲群体经历的三个开放式问题的回答。使用描述性统计和定性内容分析法对数据进行分析。
回答开放式问题的女性（N = 393）年龄为29.2岁（标准差 = 5.3），白人（85%），已婚或处于稳定恋爱关系（81%），居住在美国（75%）。90%（n = 354）完成了爱丁堡产后抑郁筛查量表，其中18%（n = 65）得分≥13，表明有产后抑郁的风险。数据分析揭示了五个主题。这些主题被整合在社区的整体概念之下，包括1）社会支持；2）匿名性；3）内群体；4）戏剧性事件；5）娱乐/消遣。
研究结果表明在线论坛可以为新妈妈提供社会支持。它们可以促进信息共享，充当娱乐来源，并为那些可能因初为人母的需求而感到孤立的参与者提供社区感。与育龄妇女打交道的护士应该了解在线论坛的积极和消极方面，以便她们能够支持选择参与的新妈妈。
