Use of a Pregnancy Support Web Site by Low-Income African American Women

Objective: To examine the feasibility and usage pattern of a social support Web site by low-income pregnant African American women. Design: Descriptive. Setting: Homes of participants. Participants: Nineteen pregnant African American women who were pregnant for the first time, were low risk, and attending a prenatal clinic. Intervention: Culturally congruent Web site providing information on pregnancy-related health behaviors and other pregnancy issues. Main Outcome Measures: Number of visits to Web site, most popular pages, content analysis of postings, and e-mails to a nurse. Results: Participants were able to learn to use the Web site easily. They accessed the discussion board the most frequently, followed by changes during pregnancy by month, ask-a-nurse feature, ultrasound, stories about pregnant women, and spirituality. Conclusions: The discussion board is the most effective way to deliver informational social support on a comprehensive social support Web site.