Perceived Experiences and Needs of Digital Resources Among Postpartum Women in the United Arab Emirates: Qualitative Focus Group Study
2024

Digital Resources for Postpartum Women in the UAE

Sample size: 27 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Mavragani Amaryllis, Motrico Emma, Schnitman Gabriel, Medina Felipe, Hanach Nivine, Saqan Roba, Radwan Hadia, Baniissa Wegdan, de Vries Nanne

Primary Institution: Maastricht University

Hypothesis

What are the digital experiences and needs of postpartum women in the UAE?

Conclusion

Postpartum women in the UAE have unmet needs for reliable digital resources to support their mental health and infant care.

Supporting Evidence

  • Mothers valued digital resources for immediate information and emotional support.
  • 16 out of 27 women exhibited severe depressive symptoms.
  • Mothers expressed the need for a reliable UAE government digital platform for postpartum care.
  • Participants reported using various digital resources including apps and social media for parenting advice.
  • Web-based forums were seen as beneficial for peer support among mothers.

Takeaway

Moms in the UAE want better online resources to help them with baby care and mental health after giving birth.

Methodology

Four focus groups were conducted online with 27 multicultural mothers, analyzed using thematic analysis.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to self-selection of participants and the focus on women with higher education levels.

Limitations

The study may not represent all postpartum women in the UAE due to limited diversity among participants and high levels of depressive symptoms.

Participant Demographics

{"age_mean":32.47,"age_sd":4.56,"nationality":{"Arab":51.9,"Western":33.3,"South Asian":14.8},"employment_status":{"not_employed":33.3,"part_time":11.1,"full_time":44.4,"self_employed":11.1},"education_level":{"high_school":11.1,"technical_diploma":7.4,"university_degree":81.5},"depressive_symptoms":{"normal":29.6,"moderate":11.1,"severe":59.3}}

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.2196/53720

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