No abstract available.
Korea ; Preconception Care

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify awareness levels in regard to preconception care and gender differences targeting single undergraduate students in their 20s. METHODS: The study participants were 867 single undergraduate students aged 20~29 (523 women, 344 men). This was a descriptive research, in which awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy were identified the through questionnaire surveys. RESULTS: Gender differences in the awareness of reproductive care before conception were found. Generally, women's awareness of issues related to preconception care and pregnancy was higher than that of men. Women recognized risk factors in pregnancy (chi2=22.85, p<.001) and positive behaviors (chi2=10.91, p = .012) better than men. Women's awareness of preconception care was significantly higher than that of men (t=8.37, p<.001). The awareness levels of the students who completed a reproduction related class (t=3.16, p = .002) and the students who knew about folic acid (t=-10.78, p<.001) in preconception care were statistically significantly higher. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the ways to educate and alert students to major risk factors before pregnancy and other reproductive care content before conception is to provide education both single women and single men.
Education ; Female ; Fertilization ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Male ; Preconception Care* ; Pregnancy* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproduction ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was 1) to examine levels of awareness on preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior among pre-honeymooners; and 2) to explore the relationship between awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior. METHODS: This study was a correlation design with a total of 134 participants (67 couples of pre-honeymooners). Data were collected with questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean score of self-perception of awareness of preconception care and pregnancy was 2.82 out of 4. Content awareness level was 6.83 out of 13, and reproductive health promoting behavior score was 3.02 out of 4, indicating low to mid-level. Women reported higher scores in all variables than those in men. Self-perception awareness and content awareness of care and pregnancy had a weak positive correlation (r=.18, p=.038). Reproductive health promoting behavior was positively related to self-perception awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.33, p<.001) and content awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.23, p=.008). CONCLUSION: Based on this results, a variety of nursing intervention strategies may need to promote reproductive health behavior such as raising awareness of the preconception care and pregnancy.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing ; Preconception Care* ; Pregnancy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health* ; Self Concept

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a Web-based preconception health promotion program to improve preconception health promotion awareness, perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy and health behavior, and to reduce perceived barriers in couples about to be married. METHODS: Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=26 couples) or control group (n=25 couples). This program was comprised of a six hour Web-based lecture series which was given to the experimental group over a four week period. RESULTS: Results for the two groups showed: 1) a significant difference in preconception health promotion awareness in men (self-perception: z=-3.62, p <.001 content: F=18.49, p <.001) and in women (self-perception: z=-2.89, p =.004 content F=36.93, p <.001), 2) a significant difference in perceived benefits in men (z=-3.09, p =.002), and in women (F=6.38, p =.004), 3) a significant difference in perceived barriers in men (F=3.64, p =.030), and in women (F=11.36, p <.001), 4) a significant difference in perceived self-efficacy in men (F=12.16, p <.001), but no significant difference in women (F=1.93, p =.166), 5) a significant difference in health promoting behavior in men (F=16.31, p <.001), and in women (F=10.99, p =.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the program is an effective nursing intervention in couples about to be married. Therefore, this program can be useful in encouraging health-promoting behavior for couples about to be married.
Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion* ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing ; Preconception Care

PURPOSE: This study was designed to develop a valid and reliable scale for the evaluation of preconception health behavior in women preparing for pregnancy. METHODS: The initial strategy included a literature review, interviews, and construction of a conceptual framework. The preliminary items were evaluated twice for content validity by experts, and modified two preliminary investigations. Participants in the 2 main investigations and the confirmation investigation were tested for reliability and validity of the preliminary scale in women preparing for pregnancy. The data were analyzed for different items exploratory and confirmatory factors. RESULTS: The 5-point Likert scale consisted of 6 factors and 27 items. The 6-factors included ‘hazardous substance factor,’ ‘medical management factor,’ ‘rest and sleep factor,’ ‘stress management factor,’ ‘information acquisition factor,’ and ‘resource preparation factor.’ Goodness of fit of the final research model was very appropriate and based on the following measures: Q=1.98, comparative fit index=.91, Tucker-lewis index=.89, standardized root mean square residual=.07, and root mean square error of approximation=.07. The criterion validity was .64. The reliability coefficient was .92 and the test-retest reliability was .61. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that the scale can be used for the development of nursing interventions to promote preconception health behavior in women preparing for pregnancy.
Behavior Rating Scale ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Nursing ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Reproducibility of Results

Clinicians are faced with major challenges when treating women with psychiatric disorders who are contemplating pregnancy or are pregnant. Recent data suggest that pregnancy has no protective effect on the course of psychiatric disorders and that discontinuation of psychotropic drugs is associated with a significant risk of relapse. This article reviews the major clinical dilemmas in managing women with psychiatric disorders who plan to conceive. Before pregnancy, clinical considerations for the interventions such as family planning, parental education and supporting, and antenatal care are important to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. To treatment decision, clinicians should discuss with the woman the absolute and relative risks associated with not treated mental disorder and psychotropic drugs. Non-pharmacological treatment should be considered also. Treatment strategies, for each of the women with psychiatric disorders who plan to conceive are discussed.
Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Parents ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnant Women ; Psychotropic Drugs ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: Advanced aged pregnancy may be related with health problems so that more aggressive health care is necessary for these women. This study aimed to provide the basic data for developing nursing intervention programs to enhance the health of pregnant women and their new-born babies and by identifying the advanced aged women's need for pregnancy and childbirth. METHODS: It is the cross-sectional descriptive study to identify the advanced aged women's need on pregnancy and childbirth. Subjects were pregnant women 35 years or older and postpartum women. Total number of subjects was 95. Measurement tool is self-reporting survey that consisted of 67 items with four-point Likert scale, which was completed during October to November 2014. RESULTS: Average score was 3.44 out of maximum 4 on the care need on pregnancy and childbirth. Average scores according to category were as follows: baby rearing and parental role, 3.55; preconception care, 3.49; delivery care, 3.47; postpartum care 3.42; and prenatal pregnancy, 3.39. The degree of needs on pregnancy and childbirth was different according to delivery experience (t=-2.49, p=.014). CONCLUSION: Prenatal and postpartum nursing interventions were completed regardless of pregnant women's age until now; however, new nursing intervention programs are necessary to prevent the risk of advanced aged pregnancy, to provide the preconception care, and to increase the infant care and family support.
Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Maternal Age ; Nursing ; Parents ; Parturition* ; Postnatal Care ; Postpartum Period ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of pregnant women's experiences with drinking alcohol during first trimester of pregnancy METHODS: The data were collected through in-depth interviews of 7 pregnant women who drank alcohol in the first trimester. Giorgi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Findings included 6 main themes and 14 themes. The main themes concerning pregnancy and drinking were: ‘Open attitude in drinking, History of drinking in family or spouse, Seeking information in how drinking affects pregnancy, Regret not doing planned pregnancy and not quitting drinking before pregnancy, Willing to stop drinking until the child birth, Awareness about importance of preconception care. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of pregnant women's experiences of drinking alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy. These results can be used in the development of strategies to prevent drinking alcohol during first trimester and to support preconception care and prenatal care.
Binge Drinking ; Child ; Drinking* ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Methods ; Parturition ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

Congenital malformations are a common cause of illness, handicapping conditions, and death. Errors of morphogenesis leading to congenital anomalies have many recognized causes, including specific single-gene mutations, chromosome imbalances, and the action of teratogenic agents. Most congenital anomalies, however, are of multifactorial origin, occurring by complex interactions between not yet well understood genetic and environmental factors. Two to six percent of the newborn babies worldwide, i.e., 3 to 9 million infants a year, suffer from major congenital anomalies and genetic diseases. However, a great deal of this misery could be avoided. In particular, preconception care is more important than prenatal care for prevention of congenital anomalies since as many as 30 percent of pregnant women begin traditional prenatal care in the second trimester (>13 weeks of gestation), which is after the period of maximal organogenesis. Women and their partners whose ethnic background, race, or personal or family history places them at increased risk of having a fetus with a genetic disease should receive appropriate counseling. Furthermore, certain laboratory tests of the infection status of couples may be helpful in assessing the risk for and preventing some complications during pregnancy. Preconception evaluation and appropriate counseling permits parents to make informed reproductive decisions and provides reassurance.
Continental Population Groups ; Counseling ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Fetus ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Morphogenesis ; Organogenesis ; Parents ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Care

OBJECTIVETo compare plasma and red blood cell folate levels among women in their first trimester of pregnancy from rural areas with high or low prevalence of neural tube defects.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was performed, among women in their first trimester of pregnancy from rural areas with high or low prevalence of neural tube defects in 2003. Non-fasting blood sample were collected and analyzed for plasma and red blood cell folate concentrations for 688 women.

RESULTSThe median plasma (10.53 nmol/L) and red blood cell folate (389.2 nmol/L) among women from the high prevalence rural area were lower than those of women from the low prevalence rural area (plasma folate: 30.39 nmol/L, red blood cell level folate: 926.0 nmol/L). Among women from the high prevalence area, about 50% and 43% were respectively, deficient for plasma and red blood cell folate, compared with 6% and 4% respectively, for women from the low prevalence area. The median plasma folate levels among women who took periconceptional folic acid supplements in both high and low prevalence areas were about twice higher than those who did not take the folic acid. The median red blood cell folate level of the folic acid users was 40% higher than those of the non-users. Among those who took folic acid, women in the low prevalence area had 70%-90% higher plasma folate concentration and twice higher red cell folate concentration than women in the high prevalence area.

CONCLUSIONWomen from the rural area with a high prevalence of neural tube defects had low plasma and red blood cell folate levels. Periconceptional supplementation with folic acid could substantially improve folate status of reproductive-aged women. However, supplementation with 0.4 mg of folic acid per day might be inadequate for women in the high prevalence rural area.

Dietary Supplements ; Erythrocytes ; chemistry ; Female ; Folic Acid ; administration & dosage ; blood ; Humans ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Prevalence ; Rural Health