Study on Awareness of Preconception Care and Reproductive Health Behaviors in Pre-honeymooners

Nam Joo Je; So Young Choi

doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2015.21.2.71

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Je and Choi: Study on Awareness of Preconception Care and Reproductive Health Behaviors in Pre-honeymooners

Original Article

Korean J Women Health Nurs 2015;21(2):71-82.

Published online: 17 June 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2015.21.2.71

Study on Awareness of Preconception Care and Reproductive Health Behaviors in Pre-honeymooners

Nam Joo Je¹, So Young Choi^2,

¹Graduate School of Nursing, Gyongsang National University, Jinju, Korea

²College of Nursing, Gyongsang National University · Gyongsang Instituteof Health Sciences, Jinju, Korea

Corresponding author: Choi, So Young College of Nursing, Gyongsang National University, 92 Chilam-dong, Jinju 660-751, Korea. Tel: +82-55-772-8241, Fax: +82-55-772-8209, E-mail: csy4214@hanmail.net

Received 26 March 201517 April 2015 Accepted 23 April 2015

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was 1) to examine levels of awareness on preconception care and pregnancy, andreproductivehealthpromoting behavior amongpre-honeymooners; and 2) to explore the relationship between awarenesslevels of preconceptioncareandpregnancy, andreproductive healthpromotingbehavior.

Methods

This studywasacorrelationdesignwithatotal of 134participants(67couplesof pre-honeymooners). Datawerecollected withquestionnaire

Results

Meanscoreof self-perceptionof awareness of preconception care andpregnancy was 2.82 out of 4. Content awareness level was 6.83 out of 13, and reproductive health promoting behavior score was 3.02out of4,indicatinglowtomid-level. Womenreportedhigher scoresinall variablesthanthoseinmen. Self-perception awareness and content awareness of care and pregnancy had a weak positive correlation (r=.18, p=.038). Reproductive health promotingbehavior was positively relatedto self-perceptionawarenessof care and pregnancy (r=.33, p<.001) and content awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.23, p=.008).

Conclusion

Based onthis results, avarietyof nursinginterventionstrategiesmayneedtopromotereproductive healthbehavior suchas raisingaware-ness of the preconception care and pregnancy.

Keywords: Preconception care, Pregnancy, Awareness, Reproductive health, Behavior

REFERENCES

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Table 1.

General Characteristics (N=134)

Characteristics	Categories	n (%)	M±SD
Gender	Male	67 (50.0)
	Female	67 (50.0)
Age (year)	21~25	13 (9.7)	30.00±3.44
	26~30	62 (46.3)
	31~35	53 (39.5)
	36 ≤	6 (4.5)
Education	High school	12 (9.0)
	College	51 (38.0)
	University	71 (53.0)
Job	Yes	124 (92.5)
	No	10 (7.5)
Job classification	Production workers, Technician	7 (5.2)
	White collar, Administrative occupation	38 (28.4)
	Public officials, Soldier	9 (6.7)
	Professions	27 (20.2)
	Others	18 (13.4)
	Seller, Service jobs	24 (17.9)
	Inoccupation	11 (8.2)
Income (10,000 won)∗	None	11 (8.2)
	90~199	39 (29.1)
	200~299	63 (47.0)
	300 ≤	21 (15.7)
Birth plan (month)	Yes 6 ≤	32 (23.9)
	6~12	34 (25.4)
	12 ＜	12 (8.9)
	No plan	56 (41.8)
Number of children	0	3 (2.2)	2.00±0.69
	1	23 (17.2)
	2	79 (59.0)
	3 or more	29 (21.6)
Smoking	No	73 (54.5)
	In the past	30 (22.4)
	Currently	31 (23.1)
Drinking	No	6 (4.5)
	In the past	20 (14.9)
	Current	108 (80.6)
Exercise	No	49 (36.6)
	Sometime	46 (34.3)
	Regular	39 (29.1)
Pregnancy, birth, health	Lecture	18 (13.4)
information related to child care	TV, radio, newspapers, Internet	71 (53.0)
	Magazines and books	50 (37.3)
	Brochures, handouts, brochure	13 (9.7)
	Slides, video screenings	4 (3.0)
	Doctors, nurses and consultation	24 (17.9)
	Family	17 (12.7)
	Friends/colleagues	39 (29.1)
Educational Experience	Yes	17 (12.7)	1.65±0.93
	No	117 (87.3)
Pregnancy and childbirth, education	Middle school	54 (40.3)
about parenting time	High school	38 (28.4)
	University	13 (9.7)
	Just before marriage/Honeymoon	28 (20.9)
	During pregnancy	1 (0.7)

Table 2.

Self-perception of Awareness, Content Awareness of Preconception Care and Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Promoting Behavior (N=134)

Variables	Categories	Total (n=134)	Male (n=67)	Female (n=67)	t	p
Self-perception of	M±SD	2.82±0.69	2.69±0.69	2.96±0.66	-2.24	.027
awareness items	Min	1.00	1.00	1.00
Range (1~4)	Max	4.00	4.00	4.00
Content awareness items	M±SD	6.83±2.07	6.21±2.04	7.45±1.92	-3.62	.001 ＜
Range (0~13)	Min	2.00	2.00	1.00
	Max	12.00	12.00	11.00
Reproductive health	M±SD	3.02±0.27	2.97±0.23	3.07±0.31	-2.28	.024
promoting behavior	Min	2.46	2.46	2.49
Range (1~4)	Max	3.73	3.45	3.73
Psychosocial	M±SD	3.04±0.37	2.98±0.33	3.10±0.39	-1.85	.066
reproductive health	Min	2.22	2.22	2.33
Range (1~4)	Max	4.00	3.78	4.00
Genital management	M±SD	3.03±0.32	2.94±0.27	3.12±0.35	-3.26	.001
Range (1~4)	Min	2.21	2.21	2.52
	Max	3.76	3.53	3.76
Fertility-related	M±SD	2.72±0.34	2.72±0.33	2.73±0.35	-0.03	.974
health management	Min	1.80	1.80	2.00
Range (1~4)	Max	3.73	3.40	3.73
Safe sex behavior	M±SD	3.29±0.38	3.22±0.34	3.35±0.41	-2.02	.045
Range (1~4)	Min	2.64	2.73	2.64
	Max	4.00	4.00	4.00

Table 3.

Scores of Item on Awareness of Preconception Care and Pregnancy (N=134)

Item		Total	Male	Female
		(n=134) n (%)^† or	(n=67) n (%)^† or	(n=67) n (%)^† or
		M±SD	M±SD	M±SD
Self-perception of awareness items Range (1~4)	To what extent do you feel that you are aware of the behaviors and other factors that are potentially dangerous to a developing baby during pregnancy?	2.55±0.77	2.46±0.70	2.64±0.83
	To what extent do you feel you are aware of the positive behaviors and other actions pregnant women can take to increase their odds of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby?	3.10±0.83	2.93±0.91	3.27±0.71
Content awareness itemsScore (0~1)	1 You and your husband have decided to start trying to get pregnant. When should you schedule your first visit to the obstetrician?	0.66±0.48	0.54±0.50	0.78±0.42
		88 (65.7)	36 (53.7)	52 (77.6)
	2 During which of the following periods of pregnancy is thedeveloping baby at the greatest risk from exposure to harmful substances (such as prescription or illegal drugs) or environmental toxins (such as arsenic or mercury)?	0.49±0.50	0.45±0.50	0.54±0.50
		66 (49.3)	30 (44.8)	36 (53.7)
	3 Which of the following has been proven effective in reducing the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida?	0.59±0.49	0.51±0.50	0.67±0.47
		79 (59.0)	34 (50.7)	45 (67.2)
	4 Herbal supplements and herbal teas are typically considered safe to consume during pregnancy.	0.54±0.50	0.52±0.50	0.55±0.50
		72 (53.7)	35 (52.2)	37 (55.2)
	5 Mothers with which of the following diseases/disorders is most likely to have a baby that is born heavier than normal at birth?	0.71±0.46	0.72±0.45	0.70±0.46
		95 (70.9)	48 (71.6)	47 (70.1)
	6 Women of normal weight prior to becoming pregnant are advised to gain a total of during pregnancy.	0.44±0.50	0.42±0.50	0.46±0.50
		59 (44.0)	28 (41.8)	31 (46.3)
	7 Compared to pregnant women of normal weight, obesepregnant women are at increased risk for all of the following EXCEPT	0.33±0.47	0.30±0.46	0.36±0.48
		44 (32.8)	20 (29.9)	24 (35.8)
	8 Exposure to large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy is associated with which of the following?	0.78±0.42	0.76±0.43	0.79±0.41
		104 (77.6)	51 (76.1)	53 (79.1)
	9 Serious birth defects can be caused by a pregnant woman binge drinking (5 or more drinks) on one occasion even prior to the time that she realizes she is pregnant.	0.60±0.49	0.60±0.49	0.60±0.49
		80 (59.7)	40 (59.7)	40 (59.7)
	10 If a pregnant woman has an active case of a sexuallytransmitted disease such as genital herpes or syphilis the baby can be born with the disease.	0.64±0.48	0.57±0.50	0.72±0.45
		86 (64.2)	38 (56.7)	48 (71.6)
	11 By_weeks from conception all of the baby's organs andbody systems have formed.	0.27±0.45	0.18±0.39	0.36±0.48
		36 (26.9)	12 (17.9)	24 (35.8)
	12 For women who want more than one child, it is recommendedthat at least _____ elapse between the birth of one child andbecoming pregnant with the next to allow the mother's body time to physically recover.	0.31±0.46	0.30±0.46	0.31±0.47
		41 (30.6)	20 (29.9)	21 (31.3)
	13 Which of the following are considered dangerous duringpregnancy and have been associated with birth defects or negative pregnancy outcomes (such as miscarriage, prematurity, or low birth weight)? Check all that apply	0.49±0.50	0.36±0.48	0.61±0.49
		65 (48.5)	24 (35.8)	41 (61.2)

^† Correct answers.

Table 4.

Differences in Self-perception of Awareness, Content Awareness of Preconception Care and Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Promoting Behavior according to General Characteristics (N=134)

Characteristics	Categories	Self-perception of awareness		Content awareness		Reproductive health promoting behavior
Characteristics	Categories	M±SD	t or F (p)	M±SD	t or F (p)	M±SD	t or F (p)
Gender^†	Male	2.69±0.69	-2.24	6.21±2.04	-3.62	2.97±0.23	-2.28
	Female	2.96±0.66	(.027)	7.45±1.92	(.001) ＜	3.07±0.31	(.024)
Age (year)	21~25	3.08±0.64	2.47	6.62±2.14	0.60	3.06±0.28	0.59
	26~30	2.84±0.69	(.065)	6.68±2.11	(.616)	3.02±0.28	(0.622)
	31~35	2.69±0.64		7.11±2.07		3.00±0.26
	36 ≤	3.33±0.82		6.33±1.51		3.14±0.31
Education^†	High school	2.96±0.66	1.11	5.50±2.28^a	^a 3.21	2.94±0.23	2.95
	College	2.72±0.77	(.334)	6.76±2.24^b	(.044)	2.96±0.27	(.056)
	University	2.88±0.69		7.10±1.83^c	a ＜ c	3.07±0.28
Job	Yes	2.81±0.70	-0.84	6.81±2.06	-0.27	3.02±0.28	-0.24
	No	3.00±0.53	(.403)	7.00±2.31	(.786)	3.04±0.25	(.815)
Job	Production workers, Technician	2.36±0.80^a	4.62	6.57±1.51	1.77	2.83±0.11	1.97
classification^†	White collar, AO	2.75±0.54^b	(.001) ＜	7.13±2.17	(.110)	3.01±0.27	(.075)
	Public officials, Soldier	2.94±0.63^c	d ＞ f	6.67±2.35		3.02±0.29
	Professions	3.28±0.63^d	^d	7.59±1.87		3.14±0.29
	Others	2.78±0.62^e	^e	6.28±1.97		3.04±0.28
	Seller, Service jobs	2.46±0.78^f	^f	5.96±1.97		2.93±0.26
	Inoccupation	3.05±0.52^g	^g	7.00±2.19		3.05±0.24
Income	None	3.05±0.52	0.44	7.00±2.19	3.17	3.05±0.24	1.08
(10,000 won)^†	90~199	2.83±0.71	(.724)	7.33±1.97	(.027)	2.99±0.27	(.358)
	200~299	2.79±0.68		6.27±1.85		3.00±0.28
	300 ≤	2.79±0.77		7.48±2.48		3.11±0.26
Birth plan	Yes 6 ≤	2.80±0.71	0.33	7.03±2.13	0.52	3.00±0.24	0.69
(month)	6~12	2.76±0.63	(.803)	6.79±2.36	(.670)	3.00±0.30	(.561)
	12 ＞	2.75±0.89		6.17±1.75		3.13±0.31
	No plan	2.89±0.67		6.88±1.93		3.02±0.27
Number of	0	2.67±0.29	1.60	10.00±0.00	2.50	2.95±0.34	0.41
children	1	2.72±0.60	(.192)	6.83±2.04	(.063)	2.98±0.25	(.746)
	2	2.93±0.61		6.73±2.04		3.02±0.27
	3 or more	2.64±0.91		6.76±2.08		3.06±0.30
Smoking^†	No	2.91±0.70	1.37	7.36±1.98^a	^a 5.67	3.07±0.30	2.44
	In the past	2.68±0.71	(.258)	6.30±1.99^b	^b (.004)	2.95±0.25	(.091)
	Currently	2.76±0.60		6.10±2.06^c	^c a c ＞	2.97±0.23
Drinking	No	2.83±0.75	0.57	5.67±2.34	1.19	2.99±0.17	0.11
	In the past	2.98±0.75	(.567)	7.15±2.35	(.307)	3.00±0.26	(.893)
	Currently	2.80±0.67		6.83±2.00		3.03±0.28
Exercise	No	2.77±0.72	1.10	7.22±1.89	1.76	2.98±0.28	0.72
	Sometime	2.77±0.75	(.337)	6.43±2.18	(.177)	3.03±0.27	(.488)
	Regular	2.96±0.54		6.79±2.12		3.05±0.28
Educational	Yes	3.09±0.67	1.71	7.94±2.33	2.42	3.19±0.26	2.73
experience^†	No	2.79±0.68	(0.90)	6.67±1.99	(.017)	3.00±0.27	(.007)

AO=Administrative-oc

^† Scheffe test. ́

Table 5.

Correlation Coefficients between Self-perception of Awareness, Content Awareness of Preconception Care and Pregnancy & Reproductive Health Promoting Behavior

Variables	SAI	CAI	RHPB	PRH	GM	FHM	SSB
Variables	r (p)	r (p)	r (p)	r (p)	r (p)	r (p)	r (p)
SAI	1
CAI	.18 (.038)	1
RHPB	.33 (<.001)	.23 (.008)	1
PRH	.17 (.048)	.03 (.740)	.78 (< .001)	1
GM	.26 (.003)	.21 (.013)	.83 (<.001)	.50 (< .001)	1
FHM	.33 (<.001)	.27 (.002)	.69 (< .001)	.40 (< .001)	.44 (<.001)	1
SSB	.29 (.001)	.21 (.016)	.81 (< .001)	.50 (< .001)	.66 (<.001)	.33 (<.001)	1

SAI=Self-perception of awareness items; CAI=Content awareness items; RHPB=Reproductive health promoting behavior; PRH=Psychosocial reproductive health; GM=Genital management; FHM=Fertility-related health management; SSB=Safe sex behavior.

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