Seeking information: where do pregnant women go?

As part of a larger investigation of health behaviors and beliefs during pregnancy, a sample of 529 women were asked to identify their major sources of information about what they should and should not do during their pregnancies. Health care providers and books were cited as first or second most important by the largest number of respondents. When associations between respondent characteristics and preferred information sources were explored, it was found that women of higher socioeconomic status (SES) relied more on books and less on family than did women of lower SES. In addition, having had a previous pregnancy was associated with greater use of one's self as an information source. Although provider characteristics were not associated with choice of information source, women who perceived more support from their providers viewed them as more important sources of information. A similar effect for family was found. Health locus of control beliefs also were related to the relative importance of selected sources of information, while general social support was not.