International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS) Vol. 13, No. 3, September 2024, pp. 1201~1207 ISSN: 2252-8806, DOI: 10.11591/ijphs.v13i3.23536  1201 Journal homepage: http://ijphs.iaescore.com Expectant mothers' social media emotional support-seeking behavior Philomina Pomaah Ofori 1 , Thomas Henaku 2 , Vered Asamoah 3 1 Department of Mobile and Pervasive Computing, Faculty of Computing and Information Systems, Ghana Communication Technology University, Accra, Ghana 2 Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Computing and Information Systems, Ghana Communication Technology University, Accra, Ghana 3 Surgical Department, Bono Regional Hospial, Sunyani, Ghana Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Jun 7, 2023 Revised Sep 12, 2023 Accepted Sep 21, 2023 In developing countries, the use of digital media for health information by expectant mothers is a relatively new phenomenon, in contrast to developed countries. This study explores whether emotional support and satisfaction are linked and how they affect the use of social media for healthcare information. A non-experimental survey design was employed in this study. Expectant mothers were surveyed in five hospitals in Ghana's capital from May to August 2022 using a questionnaire. After reviewing and cleaning the data, 580 usable responses were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 structural equation modeling. The findings of the study indicate that expectant mothers' decision to adopt digital media for health information is influenced by emotional support on social media (ESPSM) and satisfaction with social media (SATSM). Furthermore, satisfaction with social media partially mediated the effect between ESPSM and social media health information usage (SMHIU). These findings highlight the importance of emotional support and satisfaction with social media platforms in promoting digital health information usage. In particular, emotional support plays a crucial role for women, especially during pregnancy. These discoveries provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals on how best to assist expectant mothers. Keywords: Emotional support Expectant mothers Health information Satisfaction Social media This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Philomina Pomaah Ofori Department of Mobile and Pervasive Computing, Faculty of Computing and Information Systems, Ghana Communication Technology University PMB 100, Accra-North, Tesano, Ghana Email: pofori12@outlook.com 1. INTRODUCTION In recent years, mobile applications have emerged as a powerful tool for delivering services that can promote and enhance an active lifestyle [1]. The ubiquity and pervasiveness of social media have revolutionized the way individuals interact and obtain information [2]. Social media has emerged as a pervasive and powerful tool that has transformed the way individuals and organizations communicate with one another [3], [4]. The utilization and implementation of social media within the healthcare sector have garnered noteworthy interest from researchers across the globe [5]. The popularity of social media platforms has grown exponentially, with users relying on them to access a wide range of information, including health-related information [2]. These applications have transformed into decisive devices that enable individuals to access health and fitness-related services in a convenient and personalized manner [1]. The integration of social media into the healthcare landscape has introduced a novel facet to health communication, with the capacity to ameliorate health results and foster increased patient involvement [6].