Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Sep;10(5 Suppl):S73-7.
doi: 10.1007/s10995-006-0110-2. Epub 2006 Jun 8.

Preconception healthcare: what women know and believe

Keith A Frey  1 , Julia A Files
Affiliations

Preconception healthcare: what women know and believe

Keith A Frey et al. Matern Child Health J. 2006 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine if women realize the importance of optimizing their health prior to a pregnancy, whether the pregnancy is planned or not; and to evaluate their knowledge level and beliefs about preconception healthcare. Additionally, we sought to understand how and when women wanted to receive information on preconception health.

Methods: A survey study was performed using consecutive patients presenting to primary care practices for an annual well-woman exam. Patients were recruited based on appointment type and willingness to complete the survey at the time of their appointment, but prior to being seen by the physician.

Results: A total of 499 women completed the survey. Nearly all women (98.6%) realized the importance of optimizing their health prior to a pregnancy, and realized the best time to receive information about preconception health is before conception. The vast majority of patients surveyed (95.3%) preferred to receive information about preconception health from their primary care physician. Only 39% of women could recall their physician ever discussing this topic. The population studied revealed some significant knowledge deficiencies about factors that may threaten the health of mother or fetus.

Conclusions: A majority of women do understand the importance of optimizing their health prior to conception, and look to their Primary care physician as their preferred source for such information. Study participants demonstrated deficiencies in their knowledge of risk factors that impact maternal and fetal health suggesting that physicians are not addressing preconception healthcare during routine care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Are you interested in preconception health education?
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '12004996', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12004996/'}]}
    2. Frey K. Preconception care by the nonobstetrical provider. Mayo Clin Proc 2002;77:469–73. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1159/000053892', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1159/000053892'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11173959', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11173959/'}]}
    2. Morin VI, Mondor M, Wilson RD. Knowledge on periconceptional use of folic acid in women of British Columbia. Fetal Diagnos Ther 2001;16:111–5. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PMC', 'value': 'PMC6980095', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6980095/'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '12154526', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12154526/'}]}
    2. Morin P, De Wals P, St-Cyr-Tribble D, Niyonsenga T, Payette H. Pregnancy planning: a determinant of folic acid supplements use for the primary prevention of neural tube defects [see comment]. Can J Public Health. Revue Canadienne de Sante Publique 2002;93:259–63. - PMC - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '9347459', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9347459/'}]}
    2. Sayers GM, Hughes N, Scallan E, Johnson Z. A survey of knowledge and use of folic acid among women of child-bearing age in Dublin. J Public Health Med 1997;19:328–32. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11688615', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11688615/'}]}
    2. Watson M, Watson L, Bell R, Halliday J. The increasing knowledge of the role of periconceptional folate in Victorian women of child-bearing age: follow-up of a randomised community intervention trial. Aust N Z J Public Health 2001;25:389–95. - PubMed

Publication types