Challenges to access health information during pregnancy in Iran: a qualitative study from the perspective of pregnant women, midwives and obstetricians

BACKGROUND: Appropriate health information seeking behavior can play an effective role in self-care and promotion of women’s quality of life during pregnancy. However, different barriers can impede pregnant women while accessing health information. The aim of this research was to explain challenges to access health information during pregnancy. METHODS: The present qualitative study was carried out on 28 participants who were selected using the purposeful sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field notes, and daily notes; data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: The main barriers to access health information during pregnancy were as follows: many duties of women at home as well as out-of-home education and employment, inability to make distinction between correct and incorrect information, insufficient interactions between women and healthcare providers, failure to access to various information resources, common complaints of pregnancy, and stress and anxiety of confronting the problems during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, pregnant women experienced personal, social, and structural barriers when accessing health information. Therefore, policymakers and health planners should remove the barriers, encourage self-care, and enhance the quality of life for pregnant women, thus, promoting their health status in the end.