Digital Health Literacy and the Influence of Social Media Information Quality on Childbirth Decision-Making among Pregnant Women
Keywords:
digital health literacy, social media, childbirth decision-making, maternal health, information quality, health communication, antenatal educationAbstract
This paper investigates the relationship between digital health literacy and the interpretation and utilization of social media information by pregnant women in selecting childbirth methods. Employing a qualitative literature review and thematic synthesis, the analysis shows varying levels of digital health literacy significantly modulate women’s abilities to discern credible from unreliable information within rapidly evolving digital contexts. The findings reveal that high-quality, evidence-based content fosters informed decision-making aligned with contemporary medical standards, while exposure to low-quality, anecdotal, or biased narratives can lead to misconceptions, anxieties, and suboptimal childbirth choices. Socioeconomic factors and prior health education influence susceptibility to digital misinformation. The study found the necessity for synergistic efforts across healthcare, education, and regulatory domains to elevate digital health literacy and ensure the availability of accurate content for expectant mothers. Integrating digital health literacy into antenatal care, promoting clinician engagement in online forums, and establishing clear content moderation guidelines are pragmatic responses to the identified challenges. Such systemic interventions are critical to empowering maternal autonomy and protecting maternal and neonatal health in an increasingly digitalized world.
References
Aisyah, N., & Issalillah, F. 2021. The Relationship between Social Media Use and Mental Health in Users with FoMO. Journal of Social Science Studies, 1(2), 33–38.
Aliyah, N. D., Vitrianingsih, Y., & Safira, M. E. 2022. The Importance of Family Support in Mental Wellbeing: The Impact of Dependency, Disharmony, and Inability to Address Mental Health Issues. Journal of Social Science Studies, 2(2), 99–106.
Álvarez-Pérez, Y., Perestelo-Pérez, L., Rivero-Santanta, A., Torres-Castaño, A., Toledo-Chávarri, A., Duarte-Díaz, A., Mahtani-Chugani, V., Marrero-Díaz, M. D., Montanari, A., Tangerini, S., González-González, C., Perello, M., Serrano-Aguilar, P., & on behalf of the IC-Health Project Consortium. 2022. Co-Creation of Massive Open Online Courses to Improve Digital Health Literacy in Pregnant and Lactating Women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 913.
Birati, Y., Yefet, E., Perlitz, Y., Shehadeh, N., & Spitzer, S. 2022. Cultural and Digital Health Literacy Appropriateness of App- and Web-Based Systems Designed for Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(10), e37844.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. 2017. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
George, N., Reynolds, S., De Long, R., Kacica, M., Ahmed, R., & Manganello, J. 2023. Social Media and Black Maternal Health: The Role of Health Literacy and Ehealth Literacy. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 7(3), e119–e129.
He, Y., Fan, G., Fan, G., & Liu, D. 2025. Exploring Nurse and Patient Perspectives on Wechat-Based Prenatal Education in Chinese Public Hospitals: A Qualitative Inquiry. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 459.
Issalillah, F. & R. K. Khayru. 2023. Review of Generation Z Response to Telemedicine in Surabaya City. Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 4(1), 25-34.
Jafree, S. R., Bukhari, N., Muzamill, A., Tasneem, F., & Fischer, F. 2021. Digital Health Literacy Intervention to Support Maternal, Child and Family Health in Primary Healthcare Settings of Pakistan during the Age of Coronavirus: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial. BMJ Open, 11(3), e045163.
Khayru, R. K., & Issalillah, F. 2022. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health: An Analysis of the Effects on Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of Social Science Studies, 2(1), 95–102.
Khayru, R.K. & F. Issalillah. 2022. The Equal Distribution of Access to Health Services Through Telemedicine: Applications and Challenges, International Journal of Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Technology, 2(3), 24 – 27.
Lawrence, V., Richardson, S., & Philp, L. 2023. How Does Social Media Influence Expectations, Decision Making and Experiences of Childbirth? British Journal of Midwifery, 31(4), 210–219.
Li, B., Jin, N., Wang, Y., Hou, X., Meng, J., & Zhang, Y. 2025. Perinatal Women’s Perception of Maternal Health Information Quality on Digital Media: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e67620.
Li, M., Ul Abidin, R. Z., Qammar, R., Qadri, S. U., Khan, M. K., Ma, Z., Qadri, S., Ahmed, H., Khan, H. S. U. D., & Mahmood, S. 2023. Pro-Environmental Behavior, Green HRM Practices, and Green Psychological Climate: Examining the Underlying Mechanism in Pakistan. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1067531.
Lupton, D. 2016. The Use and Value of Digital Media for Information about Pregnancy and Early Motherhood: A Focus Group Study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 16(1), 171.
Meldgaard, M., Jensen, A. L., Johansen, A. D., Maimburg, R. D., & Maindal, H. T. 2022. Health Literacy and Related Behaviour among Pregnant Women with Obesity: A Qualitative Interpretive Description Study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1), 712.
Melwani, S., Cleland, V., Patterson, K., & Nash, R. 2022. A Scoping Review: Global Health Literacy Interventions for Pregnant Women and Mothers with Young Children. Health Promotion International, 37(2), daab047.
Nalin, C. 2021. Comprehensive Legal and Policy Approaches to Reproductive Health and Women's Rights in Access Equity, Journal of Social Science Studies, 1(2), 285 – 290.
Ningrum, E. W., Lusmilasari, L., Huriyati, E., Marthias, T., & Hasanbasri, M. 2024. Improving Maternal Health Literacy among Low-Income Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review. Narra J, 4(2), e886.
Noblit, G. W., & Hare, R. D. 1988. Meta-Ethnography: Synthesizing Qualitative Studies. Sage Publications.
Norman, C. D., & Skinner, H. A. 2006. ehealth Literacy: Essential Skills for Consumer Health in a Networked World. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(2), e9. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8.2.e9
Patton, M. Q. 2015. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Sasmita, B. & D. Darmawan, & R. K. Khayru. 2023. Telemedicine Regulation in Indonesia: Enhancing Patient Safety and Protection, International Journal of Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Technology, 4(3), 29 – 35.
Setiawan, S., R. Hardyansah., R. K. Khayru., A. R. Putra, & S. Suwito. 2023. Consumer Protection in the Health Sector: The Legal Responsibilities of Pharmacists, Journal of Social Science Studies, 3(2), 131 – 138.
Sulpat, E., Yunitasari, E., Krisnana, I., Marsinta, F. D., Fadliyah, L., Tyas, A. P. M., & Harianto, S. 2025. Effect of Health Education Technology on Nutritional Literacy and Anemia in Pregnant Women. Health Education and Health Promotion, 13(2), 241–248.
Tampil, V.C., A. Mubasyiroh, R. K. Khayru, D. Darmawan, & B. A. Prasetyo. 2023. Legal Protection for Patients in Health Services at Community Health Centers, Studi Ilmu Sosial Indonesia, 3(2), 85-100.
Van Hauwaert, R., Mateus, A. R., Coutinho, A. L., Rodrigues, J., Martins, A. R., Vilela, F., & Almeida, D. 2024. The Role of Digital Health Technologies on Maternal Health Literacy: A Narrative Review. In M. B. Garcia & R. P. P. De Almeida (Eds.), Advances in Healthcare Information Systems and Administration (pp. 47–65). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1214-8.ch003
Van Kessel, R., Wong, B. L. H., Clemens, T., & Brand, H. 2022. Digital Health Literacy as a Super Determinant of Health: More than Simply the Sum of Its Parts. Internet Interventions, 27, 100500.
Warin, A. K. 2021. The Relationship between Social Factors and Individual Well-Being: An Analysis of Mental and Physical Health in Social Dynamics. Journal of Social Science Studies, 1(1), 281–286.
Xu, J., Chen, Y., Zhao, J., Wang, J., Chen, J., Pan, X., Zhang, W., Zheng, J., Zou, Z., Chen, X., & Zhang, Y. 2024. Current Status of Electronic Health Literacy among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Their Perceptions of Online Health Information: A Mixed-Methods Study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(1), 392.
Zingg, A., Singh, T., Franklin, A., Ross, A., Selvaraj, S., Refuerzo, J., & Myneni, S. 2023. Digital Health Technologies for Peripartum Depression Management among Low-Socioeconomic Populations: Perspectives from Patients, Providers, and Social Media Channels. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 411.
