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Characterising and monitoring preconception health in England: a review of national population-level indicators and core data sources

Characterising and monitoring preconception health in England: a review of national population-level indicators and core data sources
Characterising and monitoring preconception health in England: a review of national population-level indicators and core data sources

Initiatives to optimise preconception health are emerging following growing recognition that this may improve the health and well-being of women and men of reproductive age and optimise health in their children. To inform and evaluate such initiatives, guidance is required on indicators that describe and monitor population-level preconception health. We searched relevant databases and websites (March 2021) to identify national and international preconception guidelines, recommendations and policy reports. These were reviewed to identify preconception indicators. Indicators were aligned with a measure describing the prevalence of the indicator as recorded in national population-based data sources in England. From 22 documents reviewed, we identified 66 indicators across 12 domains. Domains included wider (social/economic) determinants of health; health care; reproductive health and family planning; health behaviours; environmental exposures; cervical screening; immunisation and infections; mental health, physical health; medication and genetic risk. Sixty-five of the 66 indicators were reported in at least one national routine health data set, survey or cohort study. A measure of preconception health assessment and care was not identified in any current national data source. Perspectives from three (healthcare) professionals described how indicator assessment and monitoring may influence patient care and inform awareness campaign development. This review forms the foundation for developing a national surveillance system for preconception health in England. The identified indicators can be assessed using national data sources to determine the population's preconception needs, improve patient care, inform and evaluate new campaigns and interventions and enhance accountability from responsible agencies to improve preconception health.

Indicators, Preconception, Reproductive health, Surveillance
2040-1744
Schoenaker, Danielle
84b96b87-4070-45a5-9777-5a1e4e45e818
Stephenson, Judith
b115169f-d010-4c24-8654-222613c3ed5c
Connolly, Anne
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Shillaker, Sally
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Fishburn, Sarah
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Barker, Mary
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Godfrey, Keith
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Alwan, Nisreen
0d37b320-f325-4ed3-ba51-0fe2866d5382
Schoenaker, Danielle
84b96b87-4070-45a5-9777-5a1e4e45e818
Stephenson, Judith
b115169f-d010-4c24-8654-222613c3ed5c
Connolly, Anne
611be52c-eb1e-42b0-8191-b658d36d4880
Shillaker, Sally
6bd8155d-8b1f-4dd0-874b-b3da5dbabb11
Fishburn, Sarah
2c38e5e2-c91c-434b-a918-9f3e3e715978
Barker, Mary
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Godfrey, Keith
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Alwan, Nisreen
0d37b320-f325-4ed3-ba51-0fe2866d5382

Schoenaker, Danielle, Stephenson, Judith, Connolly, Anne, Shillaker, Sally, Fishburn, Sarah, Barker, Mary, Godfrey, Keith and Alwan, Nisreen (2021) Characterising and monitoring preconception health in England: a review of national population-level indicators and core data sources. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. (doi:10.1017/S2040174421000258).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Initiatives to optimise preconception health are emerging following growing recognition that this may improve the health and well-being of women and men of reproductive age and optimise health in their children. To inform and evaluate such initiatives, guidance is required on indicators that describe and monitor population-level preconception health. We searched relevant databases and websites (March 2021) to identify national and international preconception guidelines, recommendations and policy reports. These were reviewed to identify preconception indicators. Indicators were aligned with a measure describing the prevalence of the indicator as recorded in national population-based data sources in England. From 22 documents reviewed, we identified 66 indicators across 12 domains. Domains included wider (social/economic) determinants of health; health care; reproductive health and family planning; health behaviours; environmental exposures; cervical screening; immunisation and infections; mental health, physical health; medication and genetic risk. Sixty-five of the 66 indicators were reported in at least one national routine health data set, survey or cohort study. A measure of preconception health assessment and care was not identified in any current national data source. Perspectives from three (healthcare) professionals described how indicator assessment and monitoring may influence patient care and inform awareness campaign development. This review forms the foundation for developing a national surveillance system for preconception health in England. The identified indicators can be assessed using national data sources to determine the population's preconception needs, improve patient care, inform and evaluate new campaigns and interventions and enhance accountability from responsible agencies to improve preconception health.

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Accepted/In Press date: 20 April 2021
Published date: 4 June 2021
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge
Keywords: Indicators, Preconception, Reproductive health, Surveillance

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 448765
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/448765
ISSN: 2040-1744
PURE UUID: 8a572fcf-8c18-4c0c-b961-b516ceb55534
ORCID for Danielle Schoenaker: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7652-990X
ORCID for Mary Barker: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2976-0217
ORCID for Keith Godfrey: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4643-0618
ORCID for Nisreen Alwan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-8463

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 May 2021 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:31

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Contributors

Author: Judith Stephenson
Author: Anne Connolly
Author: Sally Shillaker
Author: Sarah Fishburn
Author: Mary Barker ORCID iD
Author: Keith Godfrey ORCID iD
Author: Nisreen Alwan ORCID iD

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