Web-Based Discussion Forums on Pregnancy-Related Physical Symptoms: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Pregnancy-induced physical symptoms are less often discussed in a clinical setting during prenatal care as these have been mostly viewed as a normal part of the physiological process. However, pregnancy has been found to be a period of active online searching. Exploring online forums have the potential to gain in-depth knowledge about issues on physical discomforts that pregnant women discuss with their peers who have similar experiences or are living in comparable circumstances. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to explore types of pregnancy-related physical symptoms among pregnant women and to further identify the concerns that prompted women to discuss online. METHODS A retrospective qualitative study of web-based forum postings was conducted in two stages: (1) identifying eligible discussion forums and (2) identifying relevant postings. Forum postings between July 2016 and June 2017 were purposively selected and analyzed using the inductive approach. The SRQR guideline was followed for reporting this qualitative research. RESULTS In total, 574 initial postings and 2801 comments were selected from 3 eligible discussion forums. Eighteen categories of pregnancy-related physical symptoms were considered for discussion, among which nausea and vomiting accounted for one-quarter of the discussion postings. Concerns that prompted pregnant women to discuss with peers were diagnosis-oriented, solution-oriented, and emotion-oriented. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of web-based pregnancy discussion forums can be a valuable resource to better understand pregnancy issues. Thus, this present study was able to highlight significant concerns pertaining to physical symptoms and discomfort during pregnancy. Three different types of concerns have reflected women’s psychological aspects in adapting to physical changes during pregnancy progression.