How do mothers exchange parenting-related information in online communities? A meta-synthesis

Abstract

The increase in online social exchange of health information has raised concerns among information and health professionals about the quality and accuracy of the information exchanged. This study investigates how mothers exchange pregnancy- and parenting-related information in online communities. Through a meta-synthesis, we encoded 31 themes and 9 core themes based on the findings from 39 relevant studies, and observed a general pattern of information exchange in mothers' online communities. We found that mothers behave normatively and have a common perception of information values in the community. We also found interactions between mothers' online communities, offline communities, and lifeworld. The study's findings align with the theory of Information Worlds. The current meta-synthesis sheds light on the practice of health care provision and information service and points toward future empirical research.