Characteristics Of Pregnant And Postpartum Women Health Information Communication:Social Network Analysis

Objective:The aim of this study was to analysize health information communication characteristics,and explore the differences in health information communication networks of pregnant and postpartum women.The study finding can provide information support for the management and operation of communication network,and improve the interpersonal communication effects of maternal and child health education.Methods:The study analyze health informarion communication of pregnant and postpartum women from both ego-networks and whole network.Ego-networks analysis was carried out in a sample of pregnant and postpartum women receiving outpatient services in 3 healthcare institutions of different owners and levels(a public provincial maternal and child health hospital,a public township hospital,and a private hospital).We used the self-made questionnaire.A total of 1100 questionnaires were sanded,863 effective questionnaires were collected,and the effective rate was78.45%.We used Social network analysis to explore health information communication network characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women,and used correspondence analysis to dentify networks differences among different pregnant and postpartum women in Taiyuan,China.Whole network analyzed the pregnant and postpartum women WeChat group of a hospital of Taiyuan,China.We collected the chat records of pregnant and postpartum women in WeChat group form September 13,2018 to December 31,2018 to construct a relation matrix.We used Ucinet software to map sociogram and analyze network density,centrality,and role characteristics.Results:The 863 pregnant and postpartum women in ego-networks were between 18-44 years.717(83.08%)had higher educational level;654(75.78%)lived in the urban areas;491(56.89%)were primiparas.The average network size was(4.12 ± 1.23).The average network homogeneity in education was(0.61±0.34).The average network density was(0.68 ± 0.29).The alters were mentioned as friends or colleagues(76.66%),mothers(48.89%),sisters(47.37%),husbands(41.31%),and doctors(25.79%).In the health information communication network,46.13% of alters were relatives,42.30% of alters were friends or colleagues,7.70% of alters were doctors.The proportion of rural egos communicate with doctors was lower than that of urban egos in the networks.The whole network of pregnant and postpartum women health information communication consisted of 367 nodes and 2599 ties.Network density was 0.0105,and the standard deviation was 0.1017.Network average distance was 3.095,and distance-based cohesion was 0.169.The network with interaction frequency greater than or equal to 5 consisted 115 nodes and 201 ties.Network density was 0.0153,and the standard deviation was 0.1229.Network average distance was 4.427,and distance-based cohesion was 0.101.The 303 members’ degree and betweenness were the highest in the network,so it is the leader in the WeChat group.We divided pregnant and postpartum women into 3 types according to their indegree,outdegree,questionings and responses.We divided pregnant and postpartum women into 40 components by component analysis which 5 components with 3 or more pregnant and postpartum women.We divided the network into 8 subgroups according to blockmodels.Pregnant and postpartum women often discussed baby flu,digestive,breast feeding,nutrition and development,and eczema,etc in WeChat group.Conclusion:Health information communication ego-networks among pregnant and postpartum women based on ”strong relationship”(relatives and friends/colleagues);formal support represented by doctors was weak,especially in the county;pregnant and postpartum women were more likely to communicate health information with higher educationalalters.Pregnant and postpartum women health information communication whole network was sparse.The relationship between members was not close.There were few core members in the network,and most members were at the edge of the network.Pregnant and postpartum women health information communication was mainly based on informal support,and the formal support represented by medical staffs was weak.In the future study,formal support represented by medical staffs should be strengthened,and informal support based on relatives,friends or colleagues and peer should be consolidated and improved.