Amanda Jones
30 June 2015: Expectant mothers are consulting pregnancy apps, forums and Google to find instant information and support from other mothers in addition to visiting their healthcare professional, new research from the University of Canberra reveals.
Centenary Professor Deborah Lupton shared some early findings from her research on women's use of digital media for pregnancy and parenting in a News & Media Research Centre/Health Research Institute seminar at the University this week.
Professor Lupton surveyed more than 400 Australian women last year who were either pregnant or had given birth in the last three years, and then conducted focus groups in Sydney in May.
"The aim of my research was to find out what kinds of digital media women are using and why, and which ones they find helpful or useful," she explained.
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Pregnant women are going online for advice and to connect with other mothers according to research from the University of Canberra. Photo: Michelle McAulay
She found 73 per cent of respondents used a pregnancy app during their pregnancy, with more than half (57 per cent) using between two to four apps. More than one-quarter of respondents used apps daily.
Professor Lupton said the main reasons women used the apps was for information on their baby's development and to track changes in their body such as weight gain.
"Overall, we found the majority of women surveyed [92 per cent] who used apps found them useful or helpful. The apps also helped them connect with other pregnant women, keep track of medical appointments and helped them share information about their pregnancy with friends and family," she said.
Google was also identified by expectant mothers as an important digital tool.
"Pregnant women are constantly googling for information, saying it is an instant source of information or useful when they didn't want to bother a healthcare professional for what might be considered a trivial issue," she added.
While mothers-to-be are investing a lot of time online, Professor Lupton said digital media wasn't replacing the need to visit a doctor or midwife.
"Women still invest a lot of trust in healthcare professionals. They use digital media a lot for finding information and getting support from other mothers, but if they are really concerned they prefer to see a healthcare professional."
Visiting fellows Professor Sarah Pedersen from Robert Gordon University and Dr Gareth Thomas from Cardiff University, also discussed other pregnancy and digital media projects they are undertaking in collaboration with Professor Lupton.
