A Systematic Review of Social Media Use and Social Support among New Mothers

Ainsworth, M. D. S., & Bell, S. M. (1970). Attachment, Exploration, and separation: illustrated by the behavior of One-Year-Olds in a strange situation. Child Development, 41(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.2307/1127388
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-t
Alianmoghaddam, N., Phibbs, S., & Benn, C. (2019). “I did a lot of Googling”: A qualitative study of exclusive breastfeeding support through social media. Women and Birth, 32(2), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2018.05.008
Allen, S. M., & Hawkins, A. J. (1999). Maternal Gatekeeping: Mothers’ beliefs and behaviors that inhibit greater father involvement in family work. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(1), 199. https://doi.org/10.2307/353894
Anderson, A. S. a. M. (2018). Social Media Use in 2018. United States of America. http://apo.org.au/node/135341
Archer, C., & Kao, K. (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., 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., Price, S., Hunter, A., Sim, M., Etowa, J., Monaghan, J., & Paynter, M. (2020). Second opinions: Negotiating agency in online mothering forums. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive, 53(4), 327–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/0844562120940554
Aston, M., Price, S., Monaghan, J., Sim, M., Hunter, A., & Little, V. (2018). Navigating and negotiating information and support: Experiences of first?time mothers. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(3–4), 640–649. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13970
Baker, B., & Yang, I. (2018). Social media as social support in pregnancy and the postpartum. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 17, 31–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2018.05.003
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. Macmillan.
Bartholomew, M., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Glassman, M., Dush, C. M. K., & Sullivan, J. M. (2012). New parents’ Facebook use at the transition to parenthood. Family Relations, 61(3), 455–469. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00708.x
Bengtson, V. L., & Allen, K. R. (2008). The life course perspective applied to families over time. In Springer eBooks (pp. 469–504). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85764-0_19
Black, R. E., Victora, C. G., Walker, S., Bhutta, Z. A., Christian, P., De Onis, M., Ezzati, M., Grantham-McGregor, S., Katz, J., Martorell, R., & Uauy, R. (2013). Maternal and child undernutrition and overweight in low-income and middle-income countries. The Lancet, 382(9890), 427–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60937-x
Black, R., McLaughlin, M., & Giles, M. (2020). Women’s experience of social media breastfeeding support and its impact on extended breastfeeding success: A social cognitive perspective. British Journal of Health Psychology, 25(3), 754–771. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12451
Butler, J. (2005). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity GT. Political Theory, 4(4), 4-24.
Cheek, J. (1999). Postmodern and poststructural approaches to nursing research. Sage.
Clapton-Caputo, E., Sweet, L., & Muller, A. (2021). A qualitative study of expectations and experiences of women using a social media support group when exclusively expressing breastmilk to feed their infant. Women and Birth, 34(4), 370–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.06.010
Collins, P. H. (2000). Gender, Black feminism, and Black political economy. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 568(1), 41–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271620056800105
Collins, P. H. (2008). Reply to Commentaries:Black Sexual PoliticsRevisited. Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 9(1), 68–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/15240650701759292
Costa Jr, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). The five-factor model of personality and its relevance to personality disorders. Journal of personality disorders, 6(4), 343-359.
Cowie, G., Hill, S., & Robinson, P. (2011). Using an online service for breastfeeding support: what mothers want to discuss. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 22(2), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1071/he11113
Criss, S., Baidal, J. a. W., Goldman, R. E., Perkins, M., Cunningham, C., & Taveras, E. M. (2015). The role of health information Sources in Decision-Making among Hispanic mothers during their children’s first 1000 days of life. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19(11), 2536–2543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1774-2
Daehn, D., Martens, C., Loew, V., Kemmler, L., Rudolf, S., Kochen, E., Renneberg, B., & Pawils, S. (2023). SmartMoms – a web application to raise awareness and provide information on postpartum depression. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05680-9
De La Mora, A., Russell, D. W., Dungy, C. I., Losch, M. E., & Dusdieker, L. B. (1999). The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale: Analysis of Reliability and Validity1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29(11), 2362–2380. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1999.tb00115.x
Dennis, C. (2003). The Breastfeeding Self?Efficacy Scale: Psychometric Assessment of the Short form. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 32(6), 734–744. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884217503258459
Dennis, C., & Faux, S. A. (1999). Development and psychometric testing of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale. Research in Nursing & Health, 22(5), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-240x(199910)22:5
Doty, J., & Dworkin, J. (2014). Online Social Support for Parents: A Critical review. Marriage and Family Review, 50(2), 174–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2013.834027
Duggan, M., Lenhart, A., Lampe, C., & Ellison, N. B. (2015). Parents and social media. Pew Research Center, 16(1), 2.
Elliott, G., Letvak, S., Côté-Arsenault, D., Wallace, D. C., & Smith, J. (2022). First-Time mothers’ invisible presence using social networking sites. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 47(6), 318–326. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmc.0000000000000861
Emmott, E. H., Page, A. E., & Myers, S. (2020). Typologies of postnatal support and breastfeeding at two months in the UK. Social Science & Medicine, 246, 112791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112791
Eysenck, H. J. (1992). A reply to Costa and McCrae. P or A and C—the role of theory. Personality and individual Differences, 13(8), 867-868.
Gibson, L., & Hanson, V. L. (2013, April). Digital motherhood: How does technology help new mothers?. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 313-322). https://doi.org/10.1145/2470654.2470700
Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American psychologist, 48(1), 26.
Granovetter, M. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380. https://doi.org/10.1086/225469
Gray, J. B. (2013). Feeding On the Web: Online Social Support in the Breastfeeding Context. Communication Research Reports, 30(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2012.746219
Henton, S., & Swanson, V. (2023). A mixed-methods analysis of the role of online social support to promote psychological wellbeing in new mothers. Digital Health, 9, 205520762211474. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076221147433
Holmes, E. K., Egginton, B. R., Hawkins, A. J., Robbins, N. L., & Shafer, K. (2020). Do Responsible Fatherhood Programs Work? A Comprehensive Meta?Analytic Study. Family Relations, 69(5), 967–982. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12435
KelleyAmy, S., & Bollens-LundEvan. (2018). Identifying the Population with Serious Illness: The “Denominator” Challenge. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 21(S2), S-16. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2017.0548
Kouri, P., Turunen, H., Tossavainen, K., & Saarikoski, S. (2006). Pregnant families’ discussions on the Net-From Virtual Connections toward Real-Life community. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 51(4), 279–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmwh.2005.10.010
Lowe, J. B., Barnes, M., Teo, C., & Sutherns, S. (2012). Investigating the use of social media to help women from going back to smoking post?partum. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 36(1), 30–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00826.x
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). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-0971-3
Lupton, D. (2017). ‘It just gives me a bit of peace of mind’: Australian women’s use of digital media for pregnancy and early motherhood. Societies, 7(3), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc7030025
Lupton, D., & Pedersen, S. (2016). An Australian survey of women’s use of pregnancy and parenting apps. Women and Birth, 29(4), 368–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2016.01.008
McCarter-Spaulding, D., & Gore, R. (2012). Social support improves breastfeeding Self-Efficacy in a sample of Black women. Clinical Lactation, 3(3), 112–115. https://doi.org/10.1891/215805312807022923
Meleis, A. I., Sawyer, L. M., Im, E. O., Messias, D. a. K. H., & Schumacher, K. (2000). Experiencing Transitions: An Emerging Middle-Range Theory. Advances in Nursing Science, 23(1), 12–28. https://doi.org/10.1097/00012272-200009000-00006
Milligan, C., & Wiles, J. (2010). Landscapes of care. Progress in Human Geography, 34(6), 736–754. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132510364556
Montano, D., & Kasprzyk, D. (2008). Theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, and the integrated behavioral model. Health Behavior: Theory, Research, and Practice. http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-17146-004
Morris, H., & Bertram, D. E. (2013). Therapist utilization of online social support for parents of premature infants. Contemporary Family Therapy, 35(3), 583–598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-013-9239-5
Morse, H., & Brown, A. (2021). Accessing local support online: Mothers’ experiences of local Breastfeeding Support Facebook groups. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13227
Mulsow, M., Caldera, Y. M., Pursley, M., Reifman, A., & Huston, A. C. (2002). Multilevel factors influencing maternal stress during the first three years. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64(4), 944–956. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00944.x
Nadeem, R. (2023, May 10). Parenting in America Today: A survey Report (2023) | Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=23-1-24%20GRAL%20Distro%20SDT%20Parenting%20Release&org=982&lvl=100&ite=11063&lea=2293961&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0D3j000012TyIwEAK
Niela-Vilén, H., Axelin, A., Salanterä, S., & Melender, H. (2014). Internet-based peer support for parents: A systematic integrative review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(11), 1524–1537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.06.009
Pistrang, N. (1984). Women’s work involvement and experience of new motherhood. Journal of Marriage and Family, 46(2), 433. https://doi.org/10.2307/352475
Price, S., Aston, M., Monaghan, J., Sim, M., Murphy, G. T., Etowa, J., Pickles, M., Hunter, A., & Little, V. (2017). Maternal Knowing and social networks: Understanding First-Time mothers’ search for information and support through online and offline social networks. Qualitative Health Research, 28(10), 1552–1563. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732317748314
Regan, S., & Brown, A. (2019). Experiences of online breastfeeding support: Support and reassurance versus judgement and misinformation. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12874
Robinson, A., Davis, M., Hall, J. N., Lauckner, C., & Anderson, A. K. (2019). It takes an E-Village: supporting African American mothers in sustaining breastfeeding through Facebook communities. Journal of Human Lactation, 35(3), 569–582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334419831652
Robinson, A., Lauckner, C., Davis, M., Hall, J. N., & Anderson, A. K. (2019). Facebook support for breastfeeding mothers: A comparison to offline support and associations with breastfeeding outcomes. Digital Health, 5, 205520761985339. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055207619853397
Rodgers, M., Sowden, A., Petticrew, M., Arai, L., Roberts, H., Britten, N., & Popay, J. (2009). Testing methodological guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews. Evaluation, 15(1), 49–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389008097871
Safko, L., & Brake, D. K. (2009). The social media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success. Wiley.
Saha, A., & Das, M. (2017, December). Impact of social networking sites on post-partum depression in women: An analysis in the context of Bangladesh. In 2017 20th International Conference of Computer and Information Technology (ICCIT) (pp. 1-6). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/iccitechn.2017.8281831
Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Yavorsky, J. E., Bartholomew, M., Sullivan, J. M., Lee, M. A., Dush, C. M. K., & Glassman, M. (2016). Doing gender Online: new mothers’ psychological characteristics, Facebook use, and depressive symptoms. Sex Roles, 76(5–6), 276–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-016-0640-z
Skelton, K., Evans, R. R., LaChenaye, J., Amsbary, J. H., Wingate, M. S., & Talbott, L. L. (2018). Exploring social media group use among Breastfeeding Mothers: Qualitative analysis. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 1(2), e11344. https://doi.org/10.2196/11344
Slomian, J., Bruyère, O., Reginster, J., & Emonts, P. (2017). The internet as a source of information used by women after childbirth to meet their need for information: A web-based survey. Midwifery, 48, 46–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2017.03.005
Snell, W. E., Overbey, G. A., & Brewer, A. L. (2005). Parenting perfectionism and the parenting role. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(3), 613–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.02.006
Stryker, S., & Burke, P. J. (2000). The past, present, and future of an identity theory. Social psychology quarterly, 284-297.
Tomfohrde, O. J., & Reinke, J. S. (2016). Breastfeeding mothers’ use of technology while breastfeeding. Computers in Human Behavior, 64, 556–561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.057
Trickey, H. (2018). Theorising breastfeeding peer support as intervention in a complex ecological system: lessons for implementation and evaluation in a Welsh context. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.774956
Uzunçakmak, T., Gök?in, ?., & Ayaz-Alkaya, S. (2021). The effect of social media-based support on breastfeeding self-efficacy: a randomised controlled trial. The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 27(2), 159–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/13625187.2021.1946500
Vismara, L., Rollè, L., Agostini, F., Sechi, C., Fenaroli, V., Molgora, S., Neri, E., Prino, L. E., Odorisio, F., Trovato, A., Polizzi, C., Brustia, P., Lucarelli, L., Monti, F., Saita, E., & Tambelli, R. (2016). Perinatal Parenting Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Outcomes in First-Time Mothers and Fathers: A 3- to 6-Months Postpartum Follow-Up Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00938
Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. A. (2005). The integrative review: updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546–553. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03621.x
Wilson, J. C. (2020). Using social media for breastfeeding support. Nursing for Women’s Health, 24(5), 332–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2020.07.003
Zahavi-Lupo, T., Lazarus, G., Pshedetzky-Shochat, R., Bar-Kalifa, E., Refoua, E., Gleason, M. E. J., & Rafaeli, E. (2022). His, hers, or theirs? Hope as a dyadic resource in early parenthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2022.2093780

Peng, W., Zainudin, S. S. S., Hasan, N. A. M., & Xiaoyan, W. (2024). A Systematic Review of Social Media Use and Social Support among New Mothers. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(12), 3535–3556.

Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode