TY  - JOUR
AU  - Yang, Ting
AU  - Wu, Yihan
AU  - Han, Nuo
AU  - Liu, Tianli
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/1/5
TI  - Chinese Women’s Concept of Childbirth Based on the Social Media Topic “What Does Childbirth Mean to a Woman”: Content and Thematic Analysis
JO  - JMIR Pediatr Parent
SP  - e50512
VL  - 7
KW  - childbirth willingness
KW  - social media
KW  - risk perception
KW  - childbirth cost
KW  - childbirth benefit
AB  - Background: In recent years, women’s fertility desire has attracted increasing attention in China. Objective: This study aims to detect attitudes toward giving birth among young female users on Douban, a very popular Chinese social media platform. Methods: A total of 2634 valid posts from 2489 users discussing the topic “What does childbirth mean to a woman” on Douban were crawled and retained for analysis. We utilized content and thematic analysis methods to capture users’ concepts of childbirth. Results: The findings reveal that a significant majority of users conveyed generally neutral (1060/2634, 40.24%) or negative (1051/2634, 39.90%) attitudes toward childbirth, while only about one-fifth of users expressed positive (523/2634, 19.86%) sentiments. Notably, posts with negative attitudes garnered more replies and likes, and the proportion of posts expressing negativity exhibited fluctuations over time. Health risk (339/2634, 12.87%) emerged as the most frequently cited aspect of childbirth cost, with subjective happiness and the fulfillment of mental needs identified as primary benefits. Surprisingly, only a minimal number of posts (10/2634, 0.38%) touched upon the traditional objective benefits of raising children for old-age care. Thematic analysis results suggest that discussions about fertility on social media platforms might contribute to an exaggerated perception of health risks among women. Additionally, a lack of knowledge about childbirth was observed, partially attributable to longstanding neglect and avoidance of communication on these matters, likely influenced by traditional cultural biases. Moreover, there is a prevailing assumption that women should naturally sacrifice themselves for childbirth and childcare, influenced by the idealization of the female figure. Consequently, women may harbor hesitations about having a baby, fearing the potential loss of their own identity in the process. Conclusions: The results indicate a shift in the perception of childbirth among modern Chinese women over time, influenced by their increasing social status and the pursuit of self-realization. Implementing strategies such as public education on the health risks associated with pregnancy and delivery, safeguarding women’s rights, and creating a supportive environment for mothers may enhance women’s willingness to undergo childbirth. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/preprints.50468 
SN  - 2561-6722
UR  - https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2024/1/e50512
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/50512
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38180784
DO  - 10.2196/50512
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/50512
ER  -