Examining the effect of the decision-making process through the internet on experiencing symptoms during pregnancy

In this study, the effect of the decision-making process through the internet on experiencing symptoms during pregnancy was examined. The descriptive study was conducted between October-December 2023 with 253 pregnant women aged 18 years and over, aged 12 weeks and over, who agreed to participate in the study. After obtaining the approval of the ethics committee, the questionnaire form prepared online by the researcher in Google Form environment was delivered to pregnant women through social networks and data were collected. All of the data obtained from the study were evaluated by statistical analysis in SPSS 22.0 package program. Introductory Information Form, Internet Decision Making Scale in Pregnancy and Pregnancy Symptom Inventory were used for data collection. The mean score of the women who were included in the study was 30.65±8.23 on internet decision making scale in pregnancy and Pregnancy Symptom Inventory and 63.60±34.816 on the pregnancy symptom inventory total score. There was no statistically significant relationship between the internet decision making scale in pregnancy and pregnancy symptom inventory. It was determined that the frequency of experiencing symptoms during pregnancy and the limitation of daily activities by symptoms were at low levels, and there was no statistically significant relationship between age and these variables. While there was no relationship between the education level of pregnant women and pregnancy symptoms, it was found that the level of decision-making via the internet was affected, pregnant women with primary education made fewer decisions via the internet, those who did not trust the information they saw on the internet made fewer decisions via the internet, and those who spent one hour or less on the internet made fewer decisions via the internet. Finally, in the regression analyses, it was found that the level of education, daily working time and income status of the family did not have any effect on the decision-making via internet during pregnancy, and that there was no effect of decision-making via internet, age, level of education, daily working time on experiencing symptoms during pregnancy. As a result; it was determined that pregnant women used the internet as a tool about pregnancy symptoms, the internet was effective in their decision-making, but the internet had no effect on the frequency of pregnancy symptoms and the restriction of symptoms on their lives. Keywords: Pregnancy, symptom, internet, decision-making, midwifery