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Exploring Women's Experiences in Accessing, Understanding, Appraising, and Applying Health Information During Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Vamos Cheryl A.,
Merrell Laura,
Detman Linda,
Louis Judette,
Daley Ellen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of midwifery and women's health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1542-2011
pISSN - 1526-9523
DOI - 10.1111/jmwh.12965
Subject(s) - health literacy , thematic analysis , psychological intervention , health care , focus group , medical education , credibility , reproductive health , medicine , health communication , health coaching , nursing , psychology , family medicine , intervention (counseling) , qualitative research , population , social science , business , environmental health , communication , marketing , sociology , political science , law , economics , economic growth
This study explored pregnant women's experiences in accessing, understanding, evaluating, communicating, and using health information and services during pregnancy. Methods Pregnant participants (aged 18‐45 years) were recruited from an obstetrics and gynecology department of a large urban training hospital. Focus groups were facilitated by a moderator's guide developed from health literacy domains (access, understand, evaluate, and communicate and use), audio recorded, transcribed, and uploaded into ATLAS.ti. Constant comparative and thematic analysis were employed. Results Participants (N = 17) were predominantly Hispanic (53%), married (67%), college educated (87%), employed (80%), insured (100%), and nulliparous (59%). Health care providers and online and digital sources were preferred sources of information. Participants’ understanding was facilitated by plain language, pictures and other visuals, numbers and statistics, and tailored information. Participants evaluated information credibility by source (health care provider, advertisement, multiple sources) and personal circumstances (eg, health history, gestational age). In addition, these women used the information to communicate with health care providers, family, and partners and to change health‐related behaviors. Discussion Participants described rich, contextual health literacy experiences. Future interventions that maximize access to health care providers and online and digital sources, while ensuring materials are easy to understand, convenient, and patient centered, could facilitate informed decision making during this critical period. Future prenatal education and counseling interventions could be developed and evaluated using established health literacy principles to ensure that information is accessible, understandable, and actionable.