Online Health Information Seeking for Pregnancy-Related Resources and Maternal eHealth Literacy Among Women in...

Maternal eHealth literacy (MeHL) is a critical factor influencing self-care and health promotion during pregnancy. Inadequate MeHL may hinder pregnant women's effective use of online maternal health resources, increasing vulnerability to misinformation and suboptimal health decisions. However, research specifically exploring MeHL among pregnant women remains limited. Prior studies have largely focused on general populations or employed quantitative approaches, providing limited insight into how pregnant women navigate and make sense of online maternal health information in practice. Qualitative exploration is therefore needed to capture the contextual and multidimensional nature of these experiences.

To explore how pregnant and postpartum women in Thailand seek, appraise, and apply online health information during pregnancy.

This qualitative phase of a mixed-methods study aimed to develop an instrument for assessing electronic health literacy (eHL) among Thai pregnant women. Using a descriptive qualitative design guided by the eHealth Literacy Framework (eHLF), we explored pregnant women's internet use and eHL related experiences through in-depth interviews conducted between January and February 2024 with a purposive sample of 12 pregnant and 8 postpartum women from urban and suburban hospitals in Thailand.

Participants primarily used Google, YouTube, and Facebook for pregnancy information. eHLF-guided analysis identified themes across all seven eHL domains. Although participants demonstrated skills in accessing information, they expressed concerns regarding source credibility, data privacy, and complex medical terminology, and highlighted the need for Thai-language, user-friendly digital resources provided or endorsed by trusted national healthcare institutions.

Pregnant women in these Thai hospital-based samples are active users of eHealth information but face challenges in navigating credibility and system usability. Healthcare providers and institutions should develop and promote reliable, accessible, and tailored digital health resources to enhance MeHL.