Table 3 Main results of FGs with women and HCPs
From: Why women do not ask for information on preconception health? A qualitative study
Women’s knowledge and attitudes towards primary PC information | Women | HCPs |
|---|---|---|
Not all the women understand the purpose and timing of folic acid supplementation | X | X |
Weight before conception is not mentioned as a concern even by overweight women | X | X |
Most women give up smoking as soon as they are aware of pregnancy, since they know that smoking is dangerous for the baby | X | X |
A moderate intake of alcohol is seen as something compatible with pregnancy | X | X |
Women are afraid to take medications during pregnancy, even when prescribed by a physician | X | X |
On genetic testing, there is still a lot of misinformation | X | Â |
Infectious diseases like Chlamydia or Cytomegalovirus are not known by nulliparae, and very few women report having had the exam for rubella or other infectious diseases before conception | X | X |
Risks associated with aging are not often investigated or are underevaluated by women | X | X |
Women rarely keep informed about the possible consequences of their pre-existing condition on pregnancy unless they take medications for it | X | X |
Barriers to PC | ||
Pregnancy begins in the minds of women once they receive a positive response in a pregnancy test | X | X |
There is not a concept of preconception health in the Italian population and HCPs | X | X |
The main concern of a woman planning a pregnancy is fertility | X | X |
Women do not know that many conditions are preventable | X | X |
Women do not look for useful information because they don’t know what to look for | X | X |
Conception is experienced by a woman as a natural event of life | X | X |
The attitude of discretion, in some cases a defense against possible disappointments, prevents women from receiving information | X | Â |
A lack of a proactive attitude of HCPs emerges | X | X |
Women and HCPs emphasize an insufficient interest in PC promotion by governal health agencies and the media | X | X |
Women’s information sources | ||
The main reference source of information on preconception health for Italian women seems to be the OB-GYN, followed by the GP | X | Â |
Peers and close persons, like friends, mothers and sisters, also play some role | X | X |
Before conception no information about preconception health is collected through the Internet unless there are conceiving problems | X | Â |
Information collected through the Internet is mainly considered for support for further consultation, coping with simple everyday problems during pregnancy or sharing experiences | X | X |