Digital Motherhood: A Bibliometric Analysis of Mothers’ Online Advice-Seeking Behaviour
Keywords:
Online Parenting Support, Parenting, Social Media, Motherhood, Online Advice-SeekingAbstract
The rapid expansion of digital media has transformed parenting practices, with mothers increasingly turning to online platforms for advice, emotional support, and guidance on health-related matters. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on mothers’ online advice-seeking behaviour, aiming to map the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and research trends within the interdisciplinary field. Publications indexed in Scopus between 2016 and 2025 were screened using PRISMA framework, yielding 177 eligible studies for analysis. Co-citation and co-occurrence analyses were conducted using VOSviewer to identify intellectual structure, dominant themes, and emerging research trends within the field. Co-citation analysis was conducted to identify foundational knowledge bases and influential research streams, while co-occurrence analysis of author keywords was used to reveal dominant themes and emerging research directions. The findings indicate that maternal online advice-seeking research is strongly anchored in public health, maternal psychology, and digital health communication, with focus on breastfeeding, pregnancy, infant care, and postpartum support. Digital platforms, social media and mobile technologies, have emerged as central ecosystems for exchanging maternal information and providing peer-based support. The results highlight the dual role of online parenting spaces as extensions of healthcare communication systems and informal social support networks. However, the literature remains heavily concentrated on biomedical concerns, with limited attention to sociotechnical issues such as digital misinformation, influencer-driven parenting cultures, and algorithmic content exposure. This study contributes a comprehensive overview of research landscape and offers insights to inform future scholarship, digital parenting practices, and maternal health communication interventions.
References
Aksoy, B., & Neill, S. (2025). Parent's Help‐Seeking For, and Care Of, a Sick or Injured Child During COVID‐19 Pandemic Lockdowns: A National Online Survey in Türkiye. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 31(5), e70211. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.70211
Altıntaş, E., & Satılmış, İ. G. (2025). The Effect of Internet Information Resources on Maternal Confidence and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy. Balıkesir Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 14(1), 31-39. https://doi.org/10.53424/balikesirsbd.1575183
Anderson, E. S., Winett, R. A., & Wojcik, J. R. (2000). Social-cognitive determinants of nutrition behavior among supermarket food shoppers: a structural equation analysis. Health Psychology, 19(5), 479. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.19.5.479
Archer, C., & Kao, K. T. (2018). Mother, baby and Facebook makes three: does social media provide social support for new mothers?. Media International Australia, 168(1), 122- 139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X18783016
Asiodu, I. V., Waters, C. M., Dailey, D. E., Lee, K. A., & Lyndon, A. (2015). Breastfeeding and use of social media among first‐time African American mothers. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 44(2), 268-278. https://doi.org/10.1111/1552- 6909.12552
Aston, M. L. (2002). Learning to be a normal mother: empowerment and pedagogy in postpartum classes. Public Health Nursing, 19(4), 284-293. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1446.2002.19408.x
Baxter, J. (2018). ‘Keep strong, remember everything you have learnt’: Constructing support and solidarity through online interaction within a UK cancer support group. Discourse & Society, 29(4), 363-379. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926518754414
Becker, G. E., Smith, H. A., & Cooney, F. (2016). Methods of milk expression for lactating women. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (9). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006170.pub5
Bernhardt, J. M., & Felter, E. M. (2004). Online pediatric information seeking among mothers of young children: results from a qualitative study using focus groups. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6(1), e36. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.6.1.e7
Bhattacharya, S., & Singh, A. (2025). Unravelling the infodemic: a systematic review of
misinformation dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Communication, 10, 1560936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1560936
Bogic, M., Garcia, J. K., Morgan, E., Louise-Hsu, Y. C., & Boyd, A. (2025). Misinformation and digital health literacy among American Indian and Alaska Native people. Digital Health, 11, 20552076251338893. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251338893
Castellon-Lopez, Y. M., Klomhaus, A. M., Garcia, C., Marquez, D., Avila, H., Gravette, H., ... & Blanco, L. (2024). MivacunaLA (MyshotLA): a community-partnered mobile phone intervention to improve COVID-19 vaccination behaviors among low-income, Spanish-speaking, and immigrant Latino parents or caregivers. Vaccines, 12(5), 511. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12050511
Caut, C., Leach, M., & Steel, A. (2020). Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review. Maternal & child nutrition, 16(2), e12916. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12916
Chowdhury, R., Sinha, B., Sankar, M. J., Taneja, S., Bhandari, N., Rollins, N., & Martines, J. (2015). Breastfeeding and maternal health outcomes: a systematic review and meta‐ analysis. Acta paediatrica, 104, 96-113. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13102
Clarke, P. E., & Gross, H. (2004). Women's behaviour, beliefs, and information sources about physical exercise in pregnancy. Midwifery, 20(2), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2003.11.003
Eidelman, A. I., Schanler, R. J., Johnston, M., Landers, S., Noble, L., Szucs, K., Viehmann, L. (2012). Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics, 129(3), e827-e841. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-3552
Eldeeb, N., Shin, J., & Shapiro, V. B. (2025). Centring Parent Voice: Exploring Popularized Parenting Posts to Understand Parents' Information and Support Needs. Child & Family Social Work, 1-16 https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70020
Febryanti, A. (2025). Global Trends in Health and Communication Research: A Bibliometric Analysis from the Scopus Database (1995–2025). International Journal of Health Sciences, 3(2), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.59585/ijhs.v3i2.711
Frey, E., Bonfiglioli, C., Brunner, M., & Frawley, J. (2022). Parents’ use of social media as a health information source for their children: a scoping review. Academic pediatrics, 22(4), 526-539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2021.12.006
Gebremariam, K. T., Wynter, K., Zheng, M., Rawstorn, J. C., Denney-Wilson, E., & Laws, R. (2024). Breastfeeding–a survey of fathers’ support needs and preferred sources of information. International Breastfeeding Journal, 19(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-024-00654-9
Grimes, H. A., Forster, D. A., & Newton, M. S. (2014). Sources of information used by women during pregnancy to meet their information needs. Midwifery, 30(1), e26-e33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.10.007
Guerra-Reyes, L., Christie, V. M., Prabhakar, A., Harris, A. L., & Siek, K. A. (2016). Postpartum health information seeking using mobile phones: experiences of low- income mothers. Maternal and child health journal, 20(Suppl 1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-016-2185-8
Gvozdenović, A., & Bandalović, G. (2024). Differences in mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles: a qualitative study. ST-OPEN, 5, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.48188/so.5.3
Hansen, K. (2016). Breastfeeding: a smart investment in people and in economies. The Lancet, 387(10017), 416. https://fuerkinder.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/PIIS014067361600012X.pdf
He, Y., Fan, G., Fan, G., & Liu, D. (2025). Exploring nurse and patient perspectives on WeChat-based prenatal education in Chinese public hospitals: a qualitative inquiry. BMC nursing, 24(1), 459. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03108-7
Hiito, E., Ikonen, R., & Niela‐Vilén, H. (2024). Internet‐based breastfeeding peer support for breastfeeding parents: An integrative review. Journal of advanced nursing, 80(12), 4805-4824. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16221
LaMonica, H. M., Loblay, V., Poulsen, A., Hindmarsh, G., Alam, M., Ekambareshwar, M., & Hickie, I. B. (2025). Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child- Rearing Program in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e65705. https://doi.org/10.2196/65705
Li, D., Hashim, H., & Sulaiman, N. A. (2025). Trends, Hotspots and Future Prospects: TheEvolution of Teachers’ Roles in Educational Settings: A Bibliometric Analysis (2005- 2025). International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 24(9), 361-383. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.9.18
Lupton, D. (2016). The use and value of digital media for information about pregnancy and early motherhood: a focus group study. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 16(1), 171. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-0971-3
Lupton, D., Pedersen, S., & Thomas, G. M. (2016). Parenting and digital media: from the early web to contemporary digital society. Sociology Compass, 10(8), 730-743. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12398
McSorley, L., Deighton-Smith, N., Budds, K., & Wang, X. (2022). “Hang in there mama!”: The role of online parenting forums in maternal mental health. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 16(4), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.5817/cp2022-4-11
Meadows, S. O. (2011). The association between perceptions of social support and maternal mental health: A cumulative perspective. Journal of Family Issues, 32(2), 181-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X10375064
Mee, R. W. M., Yob, F. S. C., Pek, L. S., Abd Rauf, M. F., Mingmei, Y., & Derahvasht, A. (2025). Building digital thinkers: A bibliometric analysis of computational thinking in children’s education for a sustainable future. Contemporary Educational Technology, 17(3), ep581. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/16309
Morse, H., & Brown, A. (2022). Mothers’ experiences of using Facebook groups for local breastfeeding support: Results of an online survey exploring midwife moderation. PLOS Digital Health, 1(11), e0000144. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000144
Moss, K. M., Dobson, A. J., Tooth, L., & Mishra, G. D. (2021). Which Australian women do not exclusively breastfeed to 6 months, and why?. Journal of Human Lactation, 37(2), 390-402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334420929993
Murghayah, S. K. M. H., Ismail, S., Abd Majid, M., & Choirin, M. (2025). Bibliometric Analysis on Parent-Adolescent Communication. Semarak International Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture, 5(1), 25-53. https://doi.org/10.37934/sijisc.5.1.2553b
Nilsson, I., Busck-Rasmussen, M., & Villadsen, S. F. (2024). Development of a complex intervention to strengthen municipality-based breastfeeding support to reduce social inequity in breastfeeding. Archives of Public Health, 82(1), 174. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-024-01401-6
Nurfadilah, L. R., Hasanah, N., Febriyani, F., Khoirunnisa, D., Hartanti, R. D., & Yuniar, D. P. (2025). Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education: A Bibliometric Analysis in the Era of the Independent Curriculum. Nak-Kanak. Journal of Child Research, 2(1), 31-43. https://doi.org/10.21107/njcr.v2i1.105
Rollins, N. C., Bhandari, N., Hajeebhoy, N., Horton, S., Lutter, C. K., Martines, J. C. & Victora, C. G. (2016). Why invest, and what will it take to improve breastfeeding practices? The Lancet, 387(10017), 491-504. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140- 6736(15)01044-2
Sepahpour-Fard, M., & Quayle, M. (2022, April). How do mothers and fathers talk about parenting to different audiences? Stereotypes and audience effects: an analysis of r/daddit, r/mommit, and r/parenting using topic modelling. In Proceedings of the ACM Web Conference 2022 (pp. 2696-2706). https://doi.org/10.1145/3485447.3512138
Severinsen, C., Neely, E., & Hutson, R. (2024). Resisting stigma: the role of online communities in young mothers’ successful breastfeeding. International Breastfeeding Journal, 19(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-024-00626-z
Treadgold, B. M., Muller, I., Teasdale, E., Coulson, N., Roberts, A., & Santer, M. (2023). Parental experiences of eczema advice in online parenting forums: a qualitative interview study. BJGP open, 7(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgpo.2022.0155
Victora, C. G., Bahl, R., Barros, A. J., França, G. V., Horton, S., Krasevec, J., & Rollins, N. C. (2016). Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. The Lancet, 387(10017), 475-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140- 6736(15)01024-7
Walker, L. O., Mackert, M. S., Ahn, J., Vaughan, M. W., Sterling, B. S., Guy, S., & Hendrickson, S. (2017). e‐Health and new moms: Contextual factors associated with sources of health information. Public Health Nursing, 34(6), 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12347
Yücel, A. G. (2025). Critical thinking and education: A bibliometric mapping of the research literature (2005-2024). Participatory Educational Research, 12(2), 137-163. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.23.12.2
Zhu, D. T., Gupta, T., & Pérez‐Escamilla, R. (2025). Empowering global health systems to protect, promote, and support optimal breastfeeding. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 21(1), e13753. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13753
