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Pregnant women's perceptions and experiences of social media communication for antenatal care: a scoping review
Fabrice Djouma Nembot1, Collins Buh Nkum2, Blake Nkemngu Afutendem3
1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon nembotfabrice2009@yahoo.fr.
Objectives:
To map and synthesise existing evidence on pregnant women's perceptions and experiences of social media communication for antenatal care (ANC).
Design:
Scoping review.
Data Sources:
Four electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar) alongside 'grey' and supplementary searches were conducted between December 202-January 2026.
Study Selection:
All studies reporting pregnant women's perceptions or experiences of social media communication for ANC.
Data Extraction And Synthesis:
Data were extracted independently by two reviewers using a structured charting framework. Extracted data were synthesised using a descriptive and narrative approach, with pregnant women's perceptions and experiences analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Across platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, pregnant women generally perceived social media communication as acceptable and beneficial, particularly for accessing trustworthy information, reassurance between visits, peer support and flexible engagement. Experiences varied by platform, moderation model and context. Key challenges included limited personalisation, variability in moderators' capacity and responsiveness, digital literacy barriers, data affordability, privacy concerns and sociocultural influences. Equity-related considerations were recurrent, highlighting the potential for uneven experiences if digital communication is not carefully designed and standardised.
Conclusions:
Social media communication is generally experienced positively by pregnant women as a complement to routine ANC, particularly when professionally moderated and responsive to women's informational needs. However, variability in experiences and equity-related challenges underscore the need for further research and careful implementation. This scoping review provides a preliminary mapping of the evidence and identifies priorities for future qualitative synthesis, primary research and the development of inclusive, person-centred digital ANC communication strategies.
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