【Co-op Mutual Aid Survey on Information Gathering During Pregnancy and Childbirth】As Information Overload Increases Anxiety in the 'Information Overload Era,' Approximately 75% of Those with Pregnancy and Childbirth Experience Feel Anxious About 'Information Overload'.

The Japan Co-op Mutual Aid Federation (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Hiroko Sasagawa), which provides a system allowing for the application of child insurance from pregnancy, 'Co-op Mutual Aid <Support> J1000 Yen Course Pre-Birth Application (hereinafter referred to as Pre-Birth Application),' conducted a survey on the awareness of information gathering during pregnancy and childbirth among 1,500 men and women aged 20-40 nationwide who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth (or their partners).

Survey Results: Summary

Pregnancy and childbirth are major life events, and information gathering is necessary not only for health management, childbirth preparation, and childcare but also for the insurance of the child to be born. In May 2026, a new system to make childbirth delivery costs free was included in the revised Health Insurance Act, which was enacted. Along with changes in the systems and environment surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, the importance of considering household finances and future preparations is increasing. In this context, the means of gathering information about pregnancy and childbirth have also changed significantly, with the spread of the internet and SNS, and the advent of generative AI, making it easy for anyone to access information. On the other hand, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'White Paper on Information and Communications,' while SNS and news sites are major means of information gathering, the circulation and spread of false and uncertain information are pointed out as issues (*). Furthermore, with the spread of generative AI, the generation and circulation of information are accelerating, and with the increase in choices, the difficulty in discerning necessary information and the issue of 'information overload' such as 'I don't know what to believe' are also increasing.

Against this background, Co-op Mutual Aid conducted a survey on the reality of 'information gathering and information overload' during pregnancy and childbirth.

*: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 'FY2027 White Paper on Information and Communications Section 3 Measures Against False and Uncertain Information on the Internet' (https://www.soumu.go.jp/johotsusintokei/whitepaper/ja/r07/pdf/n1230000.pdf)

Survey Results Summary

(1) 75% of households who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth feel that 'there is too much information and I don't know what to believe.' The more time spent searching per day ('those who search a lot'), the more they feel 'I don't know what to believe,' and the reality that the amount of information leads to anxiety has been revealed. The usage rate of generative AI is also at a similar level to traditional media.

(2) Among those who felt anxious about their own (partner's) or the child to be born's health, about half considered insurance. The attractive points of insurance are that it is easy to continue and simple and easy to understand. About half of those who felt anxious about their health considered insurance. On the other hand, the actual number of people who join is low due to reasons such as 'I thought public systems were sufficient' and 'I didn't understand the necessary insurance content,' indicating that information is not thoroughly examined.

[Survey Outline] Co-op Mutual Aid 'Survey on Awareness of Information Gathering During Pregnancy and Childbirth'

Survey Method: Internet Survey

Survey Period: Conducted in June 2026

Survey Area: Nationwide

Survey Target: 1,500 people (approximately 31 people per prefecture), men and women aged 20-40

Outsourced Business: Rakuten Insight

*Note: This survey was conducted targeting pregnant women and households raising infants and young children.

Detailed Survey Results

[Point 1] 75% of households who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth answered that 'there is too much information and I don't know what to believe.' In particular, the longer the search time, the stronger this tendency was revealed.

▼ 75% of households who have experienced pregnancy and childbirth feel that 'there is too much information.' SNS is the mainstream information source, but the most trusted is hospitals and doctors

In response to the question 'Have you ever felt that there is too much information about pregnancy and childbirth and you don't know what to believe?', 75% of respondents answered 'often' or 'sometimes.' The most common information source was 'SNS (Instagram, X, TikTok, etc.),' followed by 'family, friends, acquaintances,' and 'search engines.' On the other hand, the most trusted information source was 'hospitals and doctors,' followed by 'family, friends, acquaintances,' and 'SNS,' with SNS also ranking high in both information sources and trustworthiness.

Survey Result 1

▼ The longer the search time, the higher the percentage who feel 'I don't know what to believe'

The most common daily search time was '5 minutes to less than 30 minutes' at 29.1%. Furthermore, the longer the search time, the more likely respondents were to answer that 'I often feel that I don't know what to believe,' with the percentage being 14.5 points higher for those who search for '1 hour to less than 2 hours' (37.9%) compared to those who search for '5 minutes to less than 30 minutes' (23.4%). Moreover, in the layer of '5 hours or more,' it reached 71.4%, showing a tendency for anxiety and difficulty in judgment to increase with the increase in search time.

▼ The usage rate of generative AI is 15.1%, close to the usage rate of traditional media (18.6%)

The usage rate of 'generative AI' in information gathering is 15.1%, close to the 18.6% of 'television, newspapers, magazines, and other media.' The trustworthiness is also slightly different with 'generative AI' at 2.9% and 'media' at 3.3%. There is also concern about hallucination (the phenomenon of generating information as if it were accurate without being based on facts) in information gathering using generative AI, and new concerns are emerging as the use of generative AI spreads.

[Point 2] Among those who felt anxious about their own (partner's) or the child to be born's health, about half considered insurance. The attractive points of insurance are that it is easy to continue and simple.

Survey Result 2 (The responses of 'actually joined' and 'did not join' on the left side of the figure are based on those who considered insurance as a means to solve the child's health anxiety)

▼ The top concern during pregnancy and before pregnancy is 'the growth and health condition of the baby after birth'

In response to the question 'Please select all the concerns you had before and during pregnancy,' the top concern was 'the growth and health condition of the baby after birth,' followed by 'my (partner's) physical condition and health condition accompanying pregnancy and childbirth.'

Furthermore, concerns about work and finances, such as work style and financial preparation after childbirth, were also ranked high.

▼ About half considered insurance, but more than 20% 'did not know' or 'were not aware'

When asked those who were anxious about their health and expenses whether they considered 'preparing insurance' as a solution, the percentage of those who considered it was 50.8% for the baby's insurance and 45.6% for their own or partner's insurance, both approximately half. On the other hand, those who answered 'I did not know' or 'I was not aware' also exceeded 20% each.

Furthermore, among those who considered it, the percentage of those who actually joined was only about 60%, with reasons including 'I thought public systems were sufficient,' 'I did not understand the necessary insurance content,' and 'I was too busy to consider it,' indicating that information was not thoroughly examined.

▼ The attractive points of insurance for pregnancy and childbirth preparation are 'ease of continuation' and 'simplicity and ease of understanding'

The attractive points of insurance for pregnancy and childbirth preparation are 'the premium is affordable and easy to continue' and 'it is simple and easy to understand, and the insurance content can be understood immediately,' which were higher than other items.