Stillbirth and risk factors: an evaluation of Irish and UK websites

ABSTRACT

Background: Research indicates that the internet is used to source health-related information, including pregnancy-related information. The aim of this study was to examine websites targeted at the pregnant population and to assess the content therein relating to stillbirth and modifiable risk factors.

Methods: The study was limited to websites hosted in Ireland and the UK, and results organized by provider and topic. A codebook was designed to record the information found on the websites. Data were collected on different website characteristics, and a search was undertaken for basic information related to stillbirth (prevalence, causes, procedures, consequences, etc.), and information relating to modifiable risk factors (smoking, alcohol/drug use, medicines use, sleep position, attendance at antenatal care, and weight management).

Results: 92 websites were included in the study, of which 39.1% (n = 36) contained basic information about stillbirth and 29.3% (n = 27) contained information related to modifiable risk factors. Only one website (1.1%) contained all the information that was sought. Websites hosted by charities were more likely to contain basic information related to stillbirth, (39.3%, n = 11 of the 28 websites hosted by charities) whereas the commercial sites were more likely to contain information about modifiable risk factors (53.3%, n = 8 of the 15 commercial sites).

Conclusion: The results of this study illustrate that websites directed at the pregnant population are a poor source for information related to stillbirth. Some stillbirth risk factors are modifiable; therefore, it is crucial that women and stakeholders can avail of reliable sources of information to make informed decisions.

KEYWORDS:

• Stillbirth
• Behavioural risk factors
• Websites
• Online health information
• online health information seeking
• stillbirth information seeking

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science Foundation Ireland [grant number 12/RC/2272].

Notes on contributors

Tamara Escañuela Sánchez

Tamara Escañuela Sánchez is a Psychology Graduate (2010–2014, UAB, Barcelona, Spain) with a Master in General Health Psychology (2014–2016, UB, Barcelona, Spain) currently conducting a PhD in the INFANT Centre at University College Cork. The aim of her PhD is to develop and evaluate an evidence-based behaviour change intervention targeting modifiable risk factors for stillbirth.

Sarah Meaney

Sarah Meany is social researcher currently based in the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC), in University College Cork. She completed her PhD entitled ‘Causes and consequences of pregnancy loss and perinatal death’’in 2016. Sarah has a particular interest in the patient perspective of health care.

Keelin O’Donoghue

Keelin O’Donoghue is a medical graduate of University College Dublin and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists. She received her PhD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of London in 2005. She heads the multi-disciplinary pregnancy loss research group at CUMH/UCC/INFANT, combining supervising a large group of postgraduate students with collaborative clinical research in this area.