Abstract
Objectives:
to evaluate the reliability of information available on popular websites, in other words, websites aimed lay pregnant women, about absolute and relative indications for cesarean sections.
Methods:
this was a descriptive/comparative study based on the popular websites most likely to be visited by lay pregnant women and that contained information about indications for absolute and relative cesarean sections. Cohen’s Kappa index of agreement was used to analyze the reliability degree on the indications for cesarean sections presented on the websites and the scientific evidence.
Results:
there was a higher prevalence (62.63%) of information on the indications for cesarean sections that did not mention whether the indication was absolute or relative, and of these indications, 40.74% were not indications for cesarean sections. Low agreement was also observed among websites and the scientific evidence when the website mentioned the indication for cesarean section was absolute or relative.
Conclusion:
this study showed that the reliability of the information on absolute and relative indications for cesarean sections available in popular websites is questionable.
Key words:
Cesarean section; Pregnant woman; Internet; Health information; Women’s health
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