title: The use of digital media by women using the maternity services in a developed country.
abstract: The provision of high quality healthcare information about pregnancy is important to women and to healthcare professionals and it is 1 driven, in part, by a desire to improve clinical outcomes,. The objective of this study was to examine the use of digital media by women' to access pregnancy information. A questionnaire was distributed to women attending a large maternity hospital. Of the 522 respondents, the mean age was 31.8 years, 45% (235/522) were nulliparous, 62% (324/522) lived in the capital city and 29% (150/522) attended the hospital as private patients. Overall 95% (498/522) used the internet for pregnancy information, 76% (399/522) had a smartphone and 59% (235/399) of smartphone owners had used a pregnancy smartapp. The nature of internet usage for pregnancy information included discussion forums (70%), social networks (67%), video media (48%), e-books (15%), blogs (13%), microblogs (9%) and podcasts (4%). Even women who were socially disadvantaged reported high levels of digital media usage. In contemporary maternity care women use digital media extensively for pregnancy information. All maternity services should have a digital media strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Cork St, Dublin.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Higgins
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mullaney
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D003142:Communication; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019049:Developed Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007494:Ireland; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires