The Impact of Antenatal Mobile Applications on Women’s Knowledge, Practices, and Satisfaction رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Introduction: The primary objective of obstetric care is to safeguard the health of the mother and child by administering appropriate prenatal care and preventing complications. Because of the advent of new technologies, women of reproductive age are becoming increasingly dependent on technology; according to studies on pregnant women, mobile technology can improve maternal outcomes. Healthcare information distribution via mobile apps is the use of mobile-device-specific computer software to enhance health management, health care services, and health research. It has been proposed that mobile applications may improve perinatal outcomes by facilitating access to health information, altering the demand for services, and enabling the delivery of focused treatment; since pregnant women are required to make their own health decisions, technology can empower patients to make informed selections also Mobile applications are beneficial for identifying and mitigating maternal risk factors, hence decreasing unfavorable maternal and foetal outcomes Objectives: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Antenatal Care (ANC) mobile applications and their effect on maternal health knowledge, change in maternal/prenatal practices and behaviors, antenatal care (ANC) attendance, and delivery in the hospital among a sample of Palestinian women in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In addition, we also aimed to compare knowledge, changes in practices and behaviors, and ANC attendance between women using and not using ANC mobile applications. Methods: This is a descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional study conducted on Palestinian women who had deliveries at selected maternal and obstetric wards in the Jerusalem Directorate between June and July 2022. Two hundred three participants were surveyed for their demographic V characteristics, use of ANC applications, maternal health knowledge from ANC applications, change in maternal practices, satisfaction with ANC applications, as well as ANC attendance. Statistical analyses were conducted with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Results: The source of information for maternal health care during pregnancy mainly was from health care practitioners, with 96.1% and 81% from family and friends, respectively; 96.6% of the sample agreed that the information was clear, 93% having smart phones and 50.7% having a mobile application for pregnancy and childbirth; also women perceived high level of knowledge and practiced toward antenatal care, with higher among antenatal app users, also women perceived high level of satisfaction toward antenatal apps they used.