Abstract:
Health information seeking behavior via internet is an important factor influencing self
care ability and the health of pregnant women. This study aimed to explore factors predicting
health information seeking behaviors via the internet among pregnant women. Samples were 120
pregnant women who received antenatal care at a private hospital. Data were collected by self
report questionnaires including Personal Information Questionnaire, Pregnancy Health
Information Need Scale, Pregnancy Health Information Barriers Scale, and Pregnancy Health
Information Seeking Behavior Scale. Reliabilities of questionnaires were .90, .86, and .79
respectively. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were used to analyze data.
The result found that pregnant women reported their health information needs at a high
level (M = 73.51, SD = 14.39), while health information barriers was rated at a moderate level
(M = 38.38, SD = 12.81) and health information seeking behavior was at a low level (M = 41.34,
SD = 8.34).Pregnancy health information needs and barriers could predicted pregnancy health
information seeking behaviors accounting for 48.2 of variance (R
2
= .482, F(2,117)
= 54.42,
p < .001) After adding age, gestational age, gravidity, and health condition in the model, all
variables could predicted 52.8 of variance in pregnancy health information seeking behaviors
(R
2
= .528, F (6,113)
= 21.10, p< .001).
Findings suggested that nurses and other health care providers should focus on health
information needs and assess health information barriers of pregnant women to create the
database that respond to the information needs of pregnant women and manage the barriers of
health seeking information via the internet.