Preconception Health Promotion Among Maryland Women

Despite current guidelines that all reproductive age women receive preconception care (PCC), most US women do not, especially women with a prior birth. The objective of our study was to identify factors associated with receipt of PCC health promotion counseling among Maryland women and to assess whether prior birth outcome affects receipt of counseling. We analyzed Maryland pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system data for a stratified random sample of women with a live birth in 2009–2010; 3,043 women with PCC data were included in the analysis. The dependent variable was receipt of any PCC counseling, and the primary independent variable, prior pregnancy outcome (no prior live birth, term, preterm). 33.1 % of the weighted sample received PCC. Odds of PCC were similar for women with a history of prior prior preterm birth (aOR 1.00, 95 % CI 0.57–1.78) and no prior live birth, but decreased for women with a prior full term delivery (aOR 0.69, 95 % CI 0.51–0.94). They were decreased for women with unintended births (aOR 0.36, 95 % CI 0.26–0.51) and increased for women with a diagnosis of asthma (aOR 1.74, 95 % CI 1.05–2.89) or diabetes (aOR 2.79, 95 % CI 1.20–6.45), who used multivitamins (aOR 2.58, 95 % CI 1.92–3.47), and had dental cleanings (aOR 1.60, 95 % CI 1.16–2.18). Although selected preventive health behaviors and high-risk conditions were associated with PCC, most women did not receive PCC. Characterization of women who do not receive PCC health promotion counseling in Maryland may assist in efforts to enhance service delivery.