Primary Sources of health information among low-income pregnant women

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferred sources of health information among low-income pregnant women in Kings County, California. A convenience sample of 170 women was obtained from prenatal patients at a hospital-run facility in rural Central California. All participants completed a 15-question survey, in which they identified their major sources of health information as well as provided demographic information.

Healthcare providers and family members were cited most often by the largest number of participants. It was found that older women were more likely to rely on physicians and younger women were more likely to use the Internet. The results also revealed that women with higher education were more likely to rely on family members as the second-most important source of health information. This study found little relationship between race/ethnicity and the preferred sources of health information among low-income pregnant women.