Practice of preconception care among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, 2022: A Mixed-Methods Study

Tadesse Getu^1*Melesech Eliso^1*Mengistu Lodebo¹Tesema Beraku¹Temesgen Getaneh²Engdaw Asmare Anlay¹Samuel Yohannes¹Ayenew Tega¹

• ¹Department of Midwifery, Hosanna College of Health Science, Hossana, Ethiopia
• ²Department of Anesthesia, College of Medicine and Health Science, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Amhara, Ethiopia

Background: Preconception care includes biomedical, behavioral, and social health interventions to women and couples before conception, aiming to improve their overall health status. Despite its importance, studies conducted in Ethiopia reveal that the practice remains unacceptably low, emphasizing the need for further investigation, particularly through mixed-method studies incorporating women's perspectives.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study with concurrent triangulation was conducted at Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, from April 1 to June 30, 2022. Quantitative data were collected using a systematic random sampling method, while qualitative data were obtained through purposive sampling. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 332 eligible antenatal care clients. Data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using SPSS. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the practice of preconception care. A 95% CI and P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was performed using ATLAS.ti version 7.Result: This study showed that 104 (31.3%) (95% CI: 26.5, 36.5) of women had good preconception care practices. Factors significantly associated with good practice included attending college or university (AOR = 3.52, 95% CI: 1.14, 10.87), having history of adverse pregnancy outcome (AOR = 4.82, 95% CI: 2.20, 10.58), receiving support from husband (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.05, 5.73), and having good knowledge of preconception care (AOR = 4.52, 95% CI: 2.11, 9.68). The qualitative analysis revealed that client-related and health facility-related factors influenced the practice of preconception care.Nearly seven out of ten women in this study became pregnant without utilization of any component of preconception care. To improve the practice of preconception care, it is essential to raise awareness about its benefits among all women of reproductive age. Future efforts focusing on knowledge dissemination and awareness creation to improve partner support are crucial to enhancing preconception care practices.