Pregnancy-Related Health Information-Seeking Behavior of Rural Women of Selected Villages of North India

Maternal health improvement is one of the main targets of India's national health programs; however, maternal mortality reduction has not yet reached satisfactory levels. Maternal health outcomes depend on the health literacy of pregnant women. The exploration of areas in which women seek information can help in a better understanding of their health information needs. A cross-sectional study assessed health information-seeking behavior during pregnancy, health information resources used, and related barriers perceived by rural women in North India. Rural women who were pregnant or had a live birth in the past six months (N=100) were selected using purposive sampling techniques from five selected villages in the Patiala district of Punjab state, India. The majority were aged 26-30 years and reported dependence on their husbands and family members in choosing sources of health information. They reported doctors, nurses, and the Internet as valuable resources for seeking health information during pregnancy. The essential topics on which women seek information are fetal growth, delivery setting, body changes during pregnancy, and other related concerns. Women reported the significant barriers to important health information as long queues and inconvenient service hours during antenatal check-ups in health settings. The findings of the study point toward the need for strengthening and improving the existing services for availability of verified and reliable information, education and communication (IEC) resources, and maternal services in the public health sector.