title: Pregnancy eHealth and mHealth: user proportions and characteristics of pregnant women using Web-based information sources-a cross-sectional study.
abstract: To analyze the current proportions and characteristics of women using Internet (eHealth) and smartphone (mHealth) based sources of information during pregnancy and to investigate the influence, this information-seeking behavior has on decision-making.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was conducted at two major German university hospitals. Questionnaires covering socio-demographic data, medical data and details of Internet, and smartphone application use were administered to 220 pregnant women. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  
  50.7 % of pregnant women were online information seekers. 22.4 % used an mHealth pregnancy application. Women using eHealth information showed no specific profile, while women using mHealth applications proved to be younger, were more likely to be in their first pregnancy, felt less healthy, and were more likely to be influenced by the retrieved information. Stepwise backward regression analysis explained 25.8 % of the variance of mHealth use. 80.5 % of cases were classified correctly by the identified predictors. All types of Web-based information correlated significantly with decision-making during pregnancy.
  
  
  
  Pregnant women frequently use the Internet and smartphone applications as a source of information. While Web usage was a common phenomenon, this study revealed specific characteristics of mHealth users during pregnancy. Improved, medically accurate smartphone applications might provide a way to specifically target the mHealth user group. As user influenceability was of major relevance to all types of information, all medical content should be carefully reviewed by a multidisciplinary board of medical specialists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. stephanie.wallwiener@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Mitho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doster
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Laserer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reck
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstr. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pauluschke-Fröhlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstr. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sara Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Brucker
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Calwerstr. 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Internet; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Smartphone application; eHealth; mHealth