Australian women's information-seeking preferences and needs in preparation for pregnancy

Issue addressed The preconception period provides opportunities for health behaviour optimisation for improved maternal and child well-being. However, preconception information sources women engage with are not well-known. Methods To address this gap, the current cross-sectional study retrospectively explored (1) preconception information or advice accessed on recommended preconception health topics and (2) preferred sources of preconception information amongst pregnant women receiving care through Australian public and private maternity settings. Results Overall, 78% of women reported accessing any preconception health information, predominantly concerning achieving/maintaining a healthy weight, diet, folic acid and multivitamin supplementation. Preferred information sources included health professionals, e.g. general practitioners (74%) and the internet (66%), although source engagement varied. Conclusions Whilst women predominantly prefer seeking preconception health information from health professionals and the internet, multi-modal resources are needed to reach women and enhance engagement with evidence-based information and healthcare in preparation for pregnancy. So what? Evaluation of preconception health resources for women and health professionals is warranted, appraising their adequacy in supporting engagement with key preconception health messages. In particular, assessment of the quality, readability and evidence-base of online resources is needed. Our findings highlight the need for public health experts to take action to raise awareness amongst women of the importance of preconception health, encourage health professional engagement for preconception care and direct women to more appropriate evidence-based online resources.