Pregnant Women’s Reasons for Using Mobile Applications, Trust Levels, and Integration into Daily Life: A Turkish Case Study

Introduction: Mobile health (mHealth) applications are increasingly used in pregnancy for information access, symptom tracking, and self-management. However, variability in content quality and concerns about privacy and usability may affect women’s engagement. This study aimed to describe pregnant women’s reasons for using pregnancy-focused mHealth applications in Türkiye, assess trust in app content, and examine how these tools are integrated into daily life.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2025 and September 2025 with 544 pregnant women who had used at least one pregnancy-related mobile application. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, reasons and patterns of app use, trust in app content, and integration of apps into daily routines. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results: Participants had a mean age of 30.10±5.83 years, and a mean gestational age (weeks) of 23.94±9.58. The primary reasons for app use were pregnancy tracking (44.7%) and information seeking (43.4%). Social media was the most common source of app discovery (77.2%). While 66.9% considered app information reliable, most preferred physicians’ advice when conflicts occurred. Reported benefits included quick information access and easier monitoring, whereas 51.1% reported increased anxiety.
Discussion and Conclusion: mHealth use among pregnant women in Türkiye is widespread; however, gaps remain between information acquisition and behavioral change. Integrating app curation, digital health-literacy counseling, notification management, and clear privacy guidance into nursing practice may enhance the safe and effective use of mHealth as a complementary component of antenatal care.

Keywords: Activities of daily living; Mobile applications; Patient satisfaction; Pregnancy; Smartphones; Türkiye