Preconception healthcare: what do men know and believe?

Background

The objectives of this study were to determine if men 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 men wanted to receive information on preconception health.

Methods

A survey study was performed using consecutive patients presenting to two primary care practices for care. Patients were recruited based on willingness to complete the survey at the time of their appointment, but prior to being seen by the physician.

Results

A total of 132 men completed the survey. Nearly all men (93.2%) realized the importance of optimizing their health prior to a pregnancy, and realized the best time to receive information about preconception health was before conception. The majority of patients surveyed (75.0%) preferred to receive information about preconception health from their primary care physician. Only 8.3% of men could recall their physician ever discussing this topic. The population studied revealed some significant knowledge deficiencies about factors that may threaten their health or the health of their partner's fetus.

Conclusions

A majority of men 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 paternal and fetal health suggesting that physicians are not addressing preconception healthcare during routine care.