Determination of the Internet Decision-Making Status of Risky and Non-Risky Pregnant Women

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the Internet decision-making status of risky and non-risky pregnant women. Method: The research employed an analytical and case-control design. The sample of the study consisted of 214 pregnant women, including 107 in the risky group and 107 in the non-risky group, who applied to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic. In the study, the data were collected using The Introductory Information Form and The Internet Decision-Making Scale in Pregnancy (IDMSP) through face-to-face interviews. In the evaluation of the data, Chi-square test, Independent Samples t-Test and Mann Whitney U test were used in addition to descriptive statistics.Results: The mean age of the pregnant women participating in the study was 28.08 ± 6.37 years. It was determined that 56.1% of the pregnant women who participated in the study met their need for information on the Internet, 46.7% checked the blog pages of the doctors while searching on the Internet to receive information about pregnancy, and 49.1% mostly used the Internet for searching about the prenatal development and health of the baby. The overall mean score of the pregnant women at risk obtained from the IDMSP was significantly higher compared to those in the non-risky group (p=0.002).Conclusion: The Internet decision-making status of risky pregnant women has been found to be higher compared to non-risky pregnant women. Accordingly, midwives and nurses should inform pregnant women that information on the Internet is not always safe, and it is important to consult healthcare professionals when making a decision regarding pregnancy.