Rathbone Amy, Prescott Julie
University of Bolton, Bolton, UK.
Mhealth. 2019 Jun 11;5:14. doi: 10.21037/mhealth.2019.05.02. eCollection 2019.
In contemporary society, due to the exponential growth of technology and the online platform, data acquisition has never been so effortless. Subsequent accessibility to health information has been reported as having many positive and negative effects. Health anxiety is the apprehension of experiencing or developing an ailment due to symptomology misinterpretation. One such lifetime occurrence which causes increased anxiety is becoming a new parent. New parents often use the online platform to seek information which will educate them on how best to care for their child and to keep their child's health at the optimum level.
The online Pregnancy Questionnaire used within this study was inclusive of the Short HAI Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) and was tailored for both pregnant women and new parents. This study focuses specifically on the results provided by the new parents. The research was disseminated and advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and a purpose-built website named "A Healthy Search" which provided all information relevant to the study and participation. Quantitative data were analysed using a regression and qualitative data were thematically analysed.
Results shows that medical complications in pregnancy did not significantly predict health anxiety however medical care within the past year did. It can also be seen that frequency of searching online for self, did not significantly predict health anxiety, yet searching online for child did significantly predict health anxiety. Anxiety specific to pregnancy ceases when gravidity comes to an end and feelings of health anxiety then tend to be transferred from the mother (parent) to the child when one becomes a new parent. New parents strive to expand their own knowledge base, in regards to typical and atypical symptomology, so that they are better equipped to monitor development, care for, and make decisions on behalf of their child. The online platform was used as opposed to offline provisos due to inexperience, judgement and anonymity. Online health information seeking behaviour also has the probability of both increasing and decreasing levels of anxiety in new parents.
This research recognised and reinforced positive and negative aspects of online health information seeking behaviour. It is recommended that further research be carried out into relevant, efficacious interventional techniques that may relieve health anxiety within new parents as contemporary technology has become a pivotal aspect of life.
在当代社会，由于技术和在线平台呈指数级增长，数据获取从未如此轻松。据报道，随后获取健康信息有许多积极和消极影响。健康焦虑是指由于对症状的误解而担心患上某种疾病。成为新父母就是这样一种会导致焦虑增加的终生经历。新父母经常使用在线平台来寻求信息，以便了解如何最好地照顾孩子并将孩子的健康维持在最佳水平。
本研究中使用的在线妊娠问卷包含简短的健康焦虑量表（HAI），并针对孕妇和新父母进行了调整。本研究特别关注新父母提供的结果。该研究在社交媒体平台如脸书、推特以及一个名为“健康搜索”的专门网站上进行传播和宣传，该网站提供了与研究和参与相关的所有信息。定量数据使用回归分析，定性数据进行主题分析。
结果表明，孕期的医疗并发症并不能显著预测健康焦虑，然而过去一年的医疗护理情况可以。还可以看出，为自己在线搜索的频率并不能显著预测健康焦虑，而为孩子在线搜索则能显著预测健康焦虑。怀孕相关的焦虑在妊娠结束时停止，当成为新父母时，健康焦虑感往往会从母亲（父母）转移到孩子身上。新父母努力扩展自己关于典型和非典型症状的知识基础，以便更好地监测孩子的发育、照顾孩子并代表孩子做出决策。由于缺乏经验、判断力和匿名性，人们使用在线平台而非线下资源。在线寻求健康信息的行为也有可能增加或减少新父母的焦虑水平。
本研究认识并强化了在线寻求健康信息行为的积极和消极方面。建议针对相关有效的干预技术进行进一步研究，这些技术可能缓解新父母的健康焦虑，因为当代技术已成为生活的关键方面。
