Understanding the Use of Smartphone Apps for Health Information Among Pregnant Chinese Women: Mixed Methods Study
Understanding the Use of Smartphone Apps for Health Information Among Pregnant Chinese Women: Mixed Methods Study
复制标题
了解中国孕妇使用智能手机应用程序获取健康信息的情况：混合方法研究
DOI：
10.2196/12631
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发表时间：
2019-06-18
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
He, Gengsheng
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wang, Na;Deng, Zequn;He, Gengsheng
以医院为基础的健康促进资源，以帮助孕妇采取健康的生活方式和优化妊娠期体重增加是重要的，但效果有限。越来越多的妇女在产前期间使用移动的应用程序获取健康信息。目的了解中国女性孕期应用程序的使用情况，了解其对健康信息应用程序的看法和态度。方法采用混合方法研究设计。研究参与者于2018年3月至7月期间从中国上海的2家妇产科医院招募。对535名中国孕妇进行了一项自我管理的网络调查，了解她们在怀孕期间使用应用程序的健康信息来源和原因。共有4个半结构化的焦点小组也进行了与孕妇（n=28）。结果受访者普遍使用与怀孕相关的应用程序和互联网。近一半的女性使用过与怀孕相关的应用程序。具体来说，随着怀孕的进展，使用健康信息的应用程序从怀孕前三个月的70%（35/50）下降到怀孕后三个月的41.3%（143/346）。使用App的主要原因是监测胎儿发育（436/535，81.5%），其次是了解营养和记录妊娠饮食（140/535，26.2%）。这些女性发现这些应用程序既有用又方便，可以在怀孕期间支持生活方式的改变。然而，一些应用程序也包含错误信息或不正确的信息，可能会导致参与者报告的焦虑。许多女性表示需要开发一款包含循证、知情和量身定制的健康信息的应用程序，以在怀孕期间为她们提供支持。结论该研究表明，许多中国妇女在怀孕期间广泛使用应用程序来监测胎儿发育，获取饮食和身体活动信息，并跟踪其身体变化。这些女性高度赞赏应用程序上提供的基于证据的信息、专家意见和量身定制的建议。智能手机应用程序有可能为孕妇提供健康信息。
Background Hospital-based health promotion resources to assist pregnant women in adopting a healthy lifestyle and optimizing gestational weight gain are important, but with limited effects. Increasingly, women are using mobile apps to access health information during the antenatal period. Objective The aims of the study were to investigate app-usage by Chinese women during pregnancy and to gain a better understanding of their views and attitudes toward apps containing health information. Methods A mixed methods study design was applied. Study participants were recruited from 2 maternity hospitals in Shanghai, China, between March and July 2018. A self-administered Web-based survey was conducted with 535 pregnant Chinese women on their sources of health information and reasons for using apps during pregnancy. A total of 4 semistructured focus groups were also conducted with the pregnant women (n=28). Results The use of pregnancy-related apps and the internet was common among the respondents. Almost half of the women had used pregnancy-related apps. Specifically, the use of apps for health information declined as pregnancy progressed from 70% (35/50) in the first trimester to 41.3% (143/346) in the third trimester. The main reason for using an app was to monitor fetal development (436/535, 81.5%), followed by learning about nutrition and recording diet in pregnancy (140/535, 26.2%). The women found that the apps were useful and convenient and can support lifestyle modifications during pregnancy. However, some apps also contained misinformation or incorrect information that could cause anxiety as reported by the participants. Many women expressed the need for developing an app containing evidence-based, well-informed, and tailored health information to support them during pregnancy. Conclusions The study suggests that apps were widely used by many Chinese women during pregnancy to monitor fetal development, to obtain diet and physical activity information, and to track their body changes. The women highly appreciated the evidence-based information, expert opinions, and tailored advice available on apps. Smartphone apps have the potential to deliver health information for pregnant women.