ArticleBMJ open2026
Pregnant women's perceptions and experiences of social media communication for antenatal care: a scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo map and synthesise existing evidence on pregnant women's perceptions and experiences of social media communication for antenatal care (ANC).
designScoping review. DATA SOURCES: Four electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar) alongside 'grey' and supplementary searches were conducted between December 202-January 2026. STUDY SELECTION: All studies reporting pregnant women's perceptions or experiences of social media communication for ANC. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted independently by two reviewers using a structured charting framework. Extracted data were synthesised using a descriptive and narrative approach, with pregnant women's perceptions and experiences analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsSix studies met the inclusion criteria. Across platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, pregnant women generally perceived social media communication as acceptable and beneficial, particularly for accessing trustworthy information, reassurance between visits, peer support and flexible engagement. Experiences varied by platform, moderation model and context. Key challenges included limited personalisation, variability in moderators' capacity and responsiveness, digital literacy barriers, data affordability, privacy concerns and sociocultural influences. Equity-related considerations were recurrent, highlighting the potential for uneven experiences if digital communication is not carefully designed and standardised.
conclusionsSocial media communication is generally experienced positively by pregnant women as a complement to routine ANC, particularly when professionally moderated and responsive to women's informational needs. However, variability in experiences and equity-related challenges underscore the need for further research and careful implementation. This scoping review provides a preliminary mapping of the evidence and identifies priorities for future qualitative synthesis, primary research and the development of inclusive, person-centred digital ANC communication strategies.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.