Postpartum Health Information Seeking Using Mobile Phones: Experiences of Low-Income Mothers.

Lucia Guerra-Reyes,Katie A Siek,Asia L Harris,Annu Prabhakar,Vanessa M Christie

doi:10.1007/s10995-016-2185-8

Lucia Guerra-Reyes, Katie A Siek + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-2185-8

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Abstract

Objectives To assess low-income mothers’ perceptions of their postpartum information needs; describe their information seeking behavior; explore their use of mobile technology to address those needs; and to contribute to the sparse literature on postpartum health and wellness. Methods Exploratory community-based qualitative approach. Interviewees were recruited among clients of community partners and had children aged 48 months and under. A survey assessing demographics was used to identify low-income mothers. 10 low-income mothers were recruited from survey participants to complete in-depth interviews regarding postpartum information needs, information seeking, and technology use. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded by three researchers independently. Narratives were analyzed along predetermined (etic) and emergent (emic) categories. Results Establishing breastfeeding and solving breastfeeding problems were central postpartum concerns leading to information seeking. Interviewees reported almost exclusive use of mobile phones to access the Internet. Mobile applications were widely used during pregnancy, but were not valuable postpartum. Face-to-face information from medical professionals was found to be repetitive. Online information seeking was mediated by default mobile phone search engines, and occurred over short, fragmented time periods. College graduates reported searching for authoritative knowledge sources; non-graduates preferred forums. Conclusions for Practice Low-income postpartum women rely on their smartphones to find online infant care and self-care health information. Websites replace pregnancy-related mobile applications and complement face-to-face information. Changes in searching behavior and multitasking mean information must be easily accessible and readily understood. Knowledge of page-rank systems and use of current and emergent social media will allow health-related organizations to better engage with low-income mothers online and promote evidence-based information.

Highlights

Adequate care and support during the postpartum period have been linked to positive health behaviors, and health outcomes in high risk populations such as low-income mothers
Conclusions for Practice Low-income postpartum women rely on their smartphones to find online infant care and self-care health information
Our results demonstrate that the Internet is the primary source of information for postpartum low-income women

Summary

Introduction

Adequate care and support during the postpartum period have been linked to positive health behaviors, and health outcomes in high risk populations such as low-income mothers. Women utilize a variety of sources of health information, including medical providers, books and magazines, friends and family, and a multitude of online sites and mobile applications. Many of these sources, do not extend significantly into the postpartum period and to infant care. Postpartum women find themselves in the contradictory situation of having received an abundance of information, yet feeling that they know very little about how to manage the day-to-day needs of life with a newborn (George 2005; Cheng et al 2006). New mothers feel inadequately prepared to care for their infant, leading to feelings of stress, isolation, and frustration (George 2005; Cheng et al 2006; Kanotra et al 2007)

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