The perception of information quality among perinatal women can be categorized into 4 distinct aspects: information providers, information content, information presentation, and information platforms. The specific quality features are illustrated in Table 2.

Our review found that existing maternal health information on digital media did not fully meet the expectations of perinatal women regarding quality, and they were attentive to numerous quality issues when accessing, understanding, and using information.

Women expressed skepticism regarding the credibility of information providers on digital media platforms, particularly because of the lack of identity disclosures [8,40,46]. Some even categorically deemed certain sources as unreliable [11,41,50]. Furthermore, statements such as “that may be literally just someone random wrote it” reflect a prevalent sentiment among women who question the trustworthiness of information content, primarily because of the anonymous or nonexpert nature of these information providers [7,41,43].

Although maternal health information is highly specialized and valuable, it has gone unrecognized among perinatal women because of the lack of elements that ensure the content is easy to understand. Women reported that information presented in overly complex language, poorly organized, and filled with jargon, which some describe as “doctor-ish,” often reduced their patience and interest in engaging with the content [23,40].

The widespread use of digital media has fostered an ecosystem where diverse user groups actively engage in the creation and dissemination of information. This phenomenon exerts a dual effect on women’s perception of information quality. On the one hand, women tend to place a higher value on exposure to diverse voices, fostering a sense of engagement and social support. However, the vast number of information providers on these platforms has resulted in an overwhelming volume of maternal health information for women, making it challenging to identify high-quality content efficiently. This observation aligns with the findings of Soroya et al [57], who demonstrated that information overload imposes a significant cognitive load, which may subsequently trigger negative emotional states and informational avoidance behaviors. Our review indicated that, to address this issue, women commonly emphasized the transparency and authority of information providers, which is also considered important criteria by widely used health information quality assessment tools, such as the Health on the Net code [58], Silberg criteria [59], and Quality Evaluation Scoring Tool [60]. While these quality features are highly valued by both women and experts, women still encountered information providers on digital media who do not disclose their personal background information. Moreover, while women perceive authoritative providers as more credible, the proliferation of nonexpert and unofficial providers on digital media has eroded their trust in maternal health information. Regarding commercial information providers, women exhibit mixed perceptions. The profit-driven nature inherent in commercial entities inevitably casts a shadow of potential bias over the information they provide. Previous studies have documented that maternal health information from commercial information providers generally has lower quality compared to that from official sources [19,20]. However, in recent years, large-scale commercial organizations, such as Dingxiangyuan (a leading Chinese health care institution), and multinational pharmaceutical corporations have rapidly expanded their health information services through digital media platforms. To maintain their reputation and expand their influence, these organizations have increasingly adopted more rigorous content moderation mechanisms. This shift may explain why some women in our review perceived certain commercial information providers as credible sources.

These findings carry implications for multiple stakeholders. First, health care professionals should actively participate in information services on digital media, ensuring their credentials and expertise are explicitly highlighted when creating content. In addition, as commercial information providers, they should uphold high-quality content production standards while consciously maintaining clear boundaries between information services and promotional activities. To enhance credibility, it is recommended that disclosure statements, such as “this content is intended for educational purposes only and does not endorse any commercial products or services,” be explicitly declared by commercial information providers. Digital media platforms should strategically leverage their capabilities to organize professional reviews and prioritize the visibility of high-quality content. Specifically, drawing on the practice of the University of British Columbia Health Care Management Center Portal, platforms could prominently rank professionally crafted and vetted information in easily accessible locations [61]. Meanwhile, to mitigate information redundancy, efforts should be made to establish incentive mechanisms and strengthen intellectual property protections, encouraging the dissemination of original content rather than repetitive or excessively reposted content.

The quality of maternal health information content is intricately linked to the well-being of both women and their offspring, making it a crucial dimension for women to perceive the quality of information [62,63]. Our review indicated that the “trustworthiness equals accuracy” perception rule is often adopted by women, who have devised various strategies to help them determine which information is trustworthy [14,64]. However, through these strategies, women reported discovering a substantial amount of incorrect, inconsistent, and even conflicting information available on digital media. In this regard, professionals have raised concerns that women may overestimate their ability to judge the trustworthiness of information, often viewing themselves—perhaps inaccurately—as “expert users” capable of selecting and recommending valuable information to others [14,22,65,66]. Therefore, as several researchers have highlighted, health care providers who have close contact with women during the perinatal period should take a leading role in actively recommending, screening, and producing high-quality maternal health information for women [26,67].

In addition, we found that evidence-based support helps women differentiate between accurate and misleading information, as they view evidence as an indicator of academic rigor and validity. Unfortunately, many women struggle with confusion because of the lack of evidence-based information available on digital media, which is frequently perceived by women as low quality. Notably, women often make such judgments solely in the presence of evidence without critically evaluating the currency, level, and rigor of the underlying evidence. In fact, multiple studies have demonstrated that the existing maternal health information on digital media often fails to align with the latest high-level guidelines [15,68]. To effectively address these deficiencies, information providers must take responsibility for ensuring the scientific validity of information from the outset. Guided by the evidence-based strategy, they should systematically and comprehensively retrieve, select, and apply higher-quality evidence. In addition, tools, such as literature trackers, are fully used to monitor the latest research findings and guidelines in the field of maternity, ensuring that the information is updated in a timely manner. Furthermore, digital media platforms should establish robust content moderation mechanisms and provide dedicated feedback channels to effectively identify and filter out outdated and pseudoscientific content [69]. To enhance compliance, platforms should impose stricter penalties that increase the cost of disseminating misinformation. Measures such as account suspensions, financial fines, and legal consequences would collectively cultivate a healthier information ecosystem [70].

It is widely acknowledged that providing complete information for perinatal women can empower them with necessary knowledge, thereby enhancing their self-management and decision-making abilities regarding their health conditions [42]. The perinatal period, characterized by its prolonged duration and numerous complex factors, often presents women with a variety of unpredictable situations. Unlike other patients, perinatal women spend most of their time in nonhospital environments. Consequently, they have unique quality requirements for maternal health information. Specifically, information must be capable of delving into the complex realities they face and aligning with both their general and personalized needs that arise in specific contexts, such as self-management at home, in the workplace, and during travel. However, our review indicates that women often perceive information on digital media as incomplete and fragmented, compelling them to engage in extensive efforts to collect information from multiple sources to bridge existing knowledge gaps [52,53]. In addition, women expressed dissatisfaction regarding the disparity between the supply and demand for maternal health information available on digital media. Previous studies suggested that this dissatisfaction primarily arises from information providers, particularly health care professionals, who tend to prioritize clinical outcome–related information [71-73] while overlooking the nuanced needs of women for a positive and high-quality reproductive experience [42]. These findings underscore that it is imperative to integrate expert perspectives with women’s perceptions to redefine the breadth and depth of maternal health information services. Information providers, especially health care providers, should leverage their frequent clinical interactions with women to explore their information needs systematically. Concurrently, we suggest that researchers leverage question and answer data from digital media platforms and use methodologies such as social network analysis to identify the diverse needs and specific concerns of women with varying characteristics.

Moreover, addressing information needs constitutes only 1 aspect of the problem-solving process. The practicality of information, defined by its real-world applicability, represents a more significant dimension of information acquisition and serves as a critical determinant of its quality [74]. During the perinatal period, women are required to actively engage in various practices, including physical exercise, exerting effort during labor, breastfeeding, newborn care, and handling unforeseen circumstances independently. Therefore, women emphasize the significance of maternal health information that can be practically applied, allowing them to translate theoretical knowledge into practical skills for conducting self-assessments and executing necessary actions. Moreover, in the real-life context of the perinatal period, minor issues may be amplified, prompting women to increasingly seek practical information that directly addresses core issues and yields tangible benefits. The insights derived from this quality feature highlight the necessity to provide content that is not only theoretically robust but also grounded in women’s lived experiences and practically feasible. Furthermore, by leveraging digital media, the integration of technology into content creation can provide information that includes personalized assessment tools, simulation training, and visual guidance, significantly enhancing women’s ability to acquire practical skills and promote essential behaviors.

In addition to practicality, individual motivation is also an important facilitator for behavioral change following information access [75]. A study conducted by Nuampa et al [53] indicated that women require motivation to enhance their satisfaction and engagement when using maternal health information available on digital media. When women understand the implications of following or disregarding the information, they are more likely to engage actively in accepting the information and participating in self-management. This suggests that motivationally stimulating information could effectively foster the continuous improvement of health information literacy among perinatal women. Despite being widely emphasized by perinatal women and domain experts [32,33], the feature of motivational stimulation remains inadequately represented in existing information quality assessment tools. This gap underscores the need for researchers to prioritize its inclusion as a key evaluation criterion within these tools. To enhance the motivational stimulation of maternal health information, information providers should optimize the narrative strategy by providing in-depth explanations that help women better understand the mechanisms, benefits, and potential risks. Such an approach can be enhanced by the incorporation of diverse real-life examples, which encompass both successful cases and cautionary narratives, serving as an effective measure to strengthen intrinsic efficacy. Concurrently, the implementation of gamified reward mechanisms through digital media, such as points, badges, leaderboards, currency, and honorary titles, can effectively augment external motivation by improving the sense of engagement and immersion [76]. In addition, information should be designed to establish clear and achievable goals that promote maternal and infant health outcomes. Digital technologies that facilitate check-in reminders and goal completion logging may also reinforce women’s sense of purpose and self-efficacy, thereby sustaining health-related motivation.

Research indicates that significant emotional fluctuations in women during the perinatal period make emotionally supportive information essential [77]. Our review confirms this, as women reported that information with encouragement, comfort, and humanistic concerns helped them feel relaxed, respected, and understood, positively influencing their perception of information quality. Moreover, information that respects women’s autonomy and offers suggestions in an egalitarian manner, as opposed to prescriptively directing them, was associated with higher satisfaction. Nevertheless, many women criticized current maternal health information on digital media for featuring alarming perinatal “horror stories” and exaggerating low-probability events, which unnecessarily amplified their anxiety and fear. Despite the prevalence of this issue, few studies have systematically evaluated and adequately addressed this gap. Given the significance of this quality feature for perinatal women, we suggest that information providers incorporate elements of empathy into the creation of perinatal health information and optimize narrative techniques that evoke a sense of equality and acceptance. On digital media platforms, sentiment analysis technologies can be effectively used to understand women’s emotional experiences after information acquisition, thereby guiding the optimization of the emotional supportiveness of content design [78]. Existing studies have demonstrated the positive role of big data and artificial intelligence in content moderation. By leveraging these technologies, digital media platforms can effectively identify and filter out exaggerated and fear-inducing content [79]. Furthermore, these platforms can empower perinatal women users by enhancing supervision and reporting mechanisms. When women identify disturbing content, they can effectively report it through dedicated channels.

In our review, we also identified a novel aspect that is often overlooked in the discourse on health information quality: the feature of cultural sensitivity. Several studies indicated that maternal health information, such as optimal delivery methods, dietary preferences and restrictions, and lifestyle management, is significantly influenced by varying values and beliefs across different regions and religious backgrounds [26,35]. For example, Asian women continue to adhere to traditional practices during the postpartum period, particularly "zuo yue zi" (postpartum confinement: a practice where women stay at home and follow specific dietary, lifestyle, and behavioral customs for 42 days or longer after childbirth to aid their physical recovery) a cultural custom that has been preserved through successive generations, whereas such practices are rarely observed among women in Western countries [80]. In addition, in some Latinx communities, many women are more accustomed to using Spanish, highlighting that information content can only be understood and applied when it aligns with their local linguistic style. Consequently, ignoring cultural differences and adopting a “one-size-fits-all” approach can undermine the effectiveness of information for women from specific cultural backgrounds and may lead to perceived cultural conflicts. The study by Chang et al [81] demonstrates that the Chinese immigrants in British Columbia faced barriers to implementing Chinese traditional practices, primarily because of the inadequacy of culturally sensitive information services in local health care systems. Therefore, we suggest that information providers should pay full attention to cultural backgrounds, making them a crucial reference for developing diverse information content. Specifically, they should form content creation teams with multicultural backgrounds and categorize information by cultural groups to help women find resources that match their own cultural contexts. Platforms should also develop multilingual switching functions and provide cultural customization features so that after women register their cultural affiliations, the platform can prioritize delivering information tailored to their cultural backgrounds. In addition, digital media platforms should establish cultural exchange communities. In such communities, perinatal women from diverse backgrounds can share their experiences and cultural practices, which serves as a vital way to understand and enhance the cultural sensitivity of maternal health information.

As many women have noted, access to a vast amount of professional maternal health information does not necessarily equate to its comprehension and assimilation. How the content is presented plays a crucial role. Enhancing content understandability through presentation adaptation lowers the health information literacy threshold required for processing maternal health information, enabling women across varying literacy levels to effectively apply the information. Our review indicates that women have a higher evaluation of understandable information that strategically uses accessible language, optimizes layout design, and integrates a diverse array of visual elements. In addition, the fast pace of modern life and the increasing prevalence of fragmentary reading habits have drawn women’s attention toward the conciseness of information presentation. Women noted that content that is overly complex or densely packed can increase cognitive load, limiting their patience and capacity to read, comprehend, and retain all necessary information. This finding aligns with research by Chen et al [82], which emphasizes that the length of health information is closely related to users’ lower willingness to engage and participate. In addition, with the widespread penetration and application of digital technologies, perinatal women are increasingly exposed to content rich in novelty and amusement, which enhances their expectations of information presented in vivid and engaging formats. In particular, in an era characterized by information overload, our review found that attractive information can evoke strong sensory responses from women, not only encouraging deep engagement but also increasing the likelihood of sustained attention and proactive sharing behavior. Previous studies have corroborated the importance of attractiveness. These findings suggest that, in the context of digital media, the external presentation attributes of maternal health information should be adequately considered. This approach addresses the digital divide between the overwhelming volume of information and women’s limited understanding, thereby promoting the widespread dissemination of valuable information in a clear, concise, and engaging manner.

Digital media platforms, as primary mediums for information search and acquisition, significantly influence women’s perceptions of maternal health information. Women highlighted the need for platforms to have strong technical support and device compatibility to quickly access desired information, reducing the time and effort involved in searching for information. This aligns with the study by Zhang and Kim [83], which identified navigational functionality as a crucial factor in user satisfaction with online health information. However, women still faced challenges in conveniently obtaining information because of complicated processes, incompatible devices, and slow response times, which diminished their patience. These findings provide important areas for optimization for digital media platforms regarding navigation and usability. Digital media platforms break down traditional one-way communication barriers, empowering women to engage more actively in information exchange. This participatory shift consequently enhances their perception of information quality. Owing to constraints such as time, transportation, and confidence in face-to-face interactions, women often refrain from seeking assistance from health care institutions for every concern [53]. Instead, they prefer to ask questions and seek information from professionals via digital media. In addition, unfamiliar physical changes, along with feelings of uncertainty and isolation, increase women’s desire to learn from the experiences of others online, particularly those from similar backgrounds within their community who access the same health care services [11]. Moreover, with the support of digital technologies, the information services offered by platforms have evolved from qualitative insights to precise quantitative data. Previous studies have shown that women at different stages of the perinatal period and with varying health conditions prioritize different types of information [2,84]. When women perceive that the information provided does not align with their personal situation, their interest diminishes and their perception of the information quality also declines. These findings suggest that maternal health information included on digital media platforms should be not only continuous and comprehensive but also customizable and proactively delivered based on each woman’s stage and unique circumstances. This can be achieved by collaborating with health care professionals, using feedback mechanisms, and leveraging data analytics.