Internet use for pregnancy-related information and its correlates among women attending antenatal care in Mogadishu, Somalia

Information from the abstract

Somalia faces persistent gaps in maternal health services, while digital connectivity is expanding rapidly, positioning online platforms as potential complements to antenatal counselling. This study assessed how often pregnant women attending antenatal care in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, use the internet for pregnancy-related information and examined the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with that behaviour. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study at six antenatal clinics in Mogadishu from February to May 2025, in which eligible literate pregnant women completed a structured, self-administered questionnaire, and we used multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with internet use. Among the 422 participants, 78.2% reported using the internet to obtain pregnancy-related information during the current pregnancy. Daily use predominated, social media was the primary means of access, and seeking support was the most frequently reported reason. Commonly searched topics included diet during pregnancy, fetal development, and infant feeding. Higher monthly income, being in the third trimester, and reporting a current pregnancy-related health problem were each associated with greater odds of internet use, whereas age, education, employment, number of previous pregnancies, number of living children, and reported fetal sex were not. Among these literate women attending antenatal care in Mogadishu, the internet, mainly through social media, is already a common source of pregnancy-related information, embedded in their everyday information practices. Integrating trustworthy Somali-language content and clinician-linked channels into antenatal care therefore warrants prospective evaluation, alongside attention to digital literacy, exposure to misinformation, privacy, and maternal and newborn outcomes. Because the study was cross-sectional and clinic-based, the findings describe associations rather than causation and should not be generalized to all pregnant women in Mogadishu.

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Related topics: Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Global Maternal and Child Health · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications