Exploring Psychosocial Experiences of Pregnant Women with AI-Based Prenatal Applications
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Abstract
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into maternal healthcare has transformed how pregnant women access information, engage with healthcare systems, and manage emotional well-being. While digital prenatal applications are increasingly used to support self-managed care, little is known about how women experience these technologies at a psychosocial level. What remains unclear is how pregnant women interpret and assign meaning to their interactions with AI-based prenatal care tools—particularly in emotionally significant and culturally embedded contexts. This study adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of pregnant women using AI-supported prenatal applications, with a focus on trust, emotional reassurance, and autonomy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants aged 22–35 years, all in their second or third trimester of pregnancy, representing diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds,who had used AI-based applications for at least one month, and data were analyzed thematically using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The findings reveal that women experience a psychosocial journey that moves from initial anxiety to emotional attachment and digital trust, shaped by repeated, personalized interactions with the AI system. Participants often viewed the application as a nonjudgmental companion, highlighting the emotional and relational dimensions of digital care. These results expand current understandings of user-AI interaction in maternal health by emphasizing the emotional meanings behind technological use, offering insights for developers and policymakers seeking to create more empathetic and culturally responsive digital health tools.
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References
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