Voices of Expecting Mother: A Qualitative Inquiry into Desired Features of Maternal Health Mobile Applications
Abstract
Background: The maternal mortality rate in Indonesia remains high. Pregnant women often encounter various challenges, particularly in terms of obtaining information about nutrition during pregnancy, managing problems experienced during pregnancy, pregnancy schedules, and monitoring fetal development. Digital pregnancy health applications are considered a companion for expectant mothers to obtain information about their pregnancy, so that they can monitor their health development.
Purpose: The aim is to explore the needs of pregnant women regarding health applications that are needed as a means of maintaining health and preventing complications during pregnancy. Methods: Qualitative phenomenological research. Data collection using the focus group discussion (FGD) technique was conducted in Kabupaten Tanah Laut, South Kalimantan, in October 2025. The population consisted of pregnant women in Kabupaten Tanah Laut. The sample was selected using criterion sampling, with 10 pregnant women as the main informants. Data collection involved observation and semi-structured interviews with focus group discussions lasting 60-90 minutes. Data validity was tested using Credibility, Transferability, Dependability, and Confirmability. Data analysis was conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
The results of the study identified six themes regarding the features needed in the application according to pregnant women, namely the experience of a risky pregnancy and the themes for information from the application, places to get help and information on pregnancy health, the need for information related to pregnancy from the application, the need for features in the pregnancy health application, the need for application security and validity, and expectations for the application for pregnant women.
In conclusion: There is a need to develop a pregnant woman-friendly application that contains pregnancy health information and further research on the development of applications according to the needs of pregnant women, containing pregnancy health information from time to time during pregnancy, fetal development, detection of pregnancy complications, and preparation for childbirth.
