Preferences of women for web-based nutritional information in pregnancy

R. A.K. Kennedy, L. Mullaney, C. M.E. Reynolds, S. Cawley, D. M.A. McCartney, M. J. Turner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives During pregnancy, women are increasingly turning to web-based resources for information. This study examined the use of web-based nutritional information by women during pregnancy and explored their preferences. Study design Cross-sectional observational study. Methods Women were enrolled at their convenience from a large maternity hospital. Clinical and sociodemographic details were collected and women's use of web-based resources was assessed using a detailed questionnaire. Results Of the 101 women, 41.6% were nulliparous and the mean age was 33.1 years (19–47 years). All women had intrnet access and only 3% died not own a smartphone. Women derived pregnancy-related nutritional information from a range of online resources, most commonly: What to Expect When You're Expecting (15.1%), Babycenter (12.9%), and Eumom (9.7%). However, 24.7% reported using Google searches. There was minimal use of publically funded or academically supported resources. The features women wanted in a web-based application were recipes (88%), exercise advice (71%), personalized dietary feedback (37%), social features (35%), videos (24%) and cooking demonstrations (23%). Conclusions This survey highlights the risk that pregnant women may get nutritional information from online resources which are not evidence-based. It also identifies features that women want from a web-based nutritional resource.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)71-77
Number of pages7
JournalPublic Health
Volume143
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2017

Keywords

  • Fetal programming
  • Maternal
  • Nutrition
  • Web-based

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