Preconception health indicators and deprivation: a cross-sectional study using national maternity healthcare data
Preconception health indicators and deprivation: a cross-sectional study using national maternity healthcare data
Objective: to use routinely-collected maternity healthcare data to (1) describe the prevalence of key preconception indicators (e.g., smoking, folic acid supplement use) and (2) explore differences in prevalence by deprivation.
Design: retrospective population-based study.
Setting: Northern Ireland (NI).
Population: 255 177 pregnancies recorded in the Northern Ireland MATernity System (NIMATS).
Methods: anonymised NIMATS data recorded during antenatal booking appointments (2011-2021) were accessed through the Honest Broker Service and analysed using R. Prevalences were calculated for each indicator, and logistic regression models explored the relationships between each preconception indicator and area-level deprivation quintiles. The indicators included were selected based on the current evidence base, availability in NIMATS, indicator modifiability and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement.
Main outcome measures: preconception indicators, including behavioural factors (e.g., planned pregnancy), pre-existing health conditions (e.g., severe mental health) and area-based deprivation.
Results: a high proportion of women had sub-optimal preconception indicators (e.g., 21.3% living with obesity). Women living in the most deprived quintile generally had a higher prevalence of risk factors than women in the least deprived quintile (e.g., smoking prevalence was 25.7% in the most deprived quintile and 5.6% in the least deprived quintile).
Conclusions: population-based maternity data in NI highlight many areas of women's preconception health that require improvement and support, especially for women living in the areas of greatest deprivation. Although these findings are a reference point to inform interventions, policy and ongoing monitoring of preconception health in NI, they should be interpreted in light of the methodological limitations of the data.
administrative data, inequalities, maternal health, population data, preconception health
2138-2148
Cassinelli, Emma H.
47d678ac-1655-4ca3-91e5-3cec8ec4cc29
Kent, Lisa
ea2bd8ea-c947-440c-afdb-bc0c944cefec
Eastwood, Kelly-Ann
afd0bb6a-7f67-4e5d-878d-58b782cf96a9
Schoenaker, Danielle A.J.M.
84b96b87-4070-45a5-9777-5a1e4e45e818
McKinley, Michelle C.
3d6bc430-60d9-4c10-903c-4dabbec4317f
McGowan, Laura
af0884a3-c82d-4710-8c1d-0db49e9b0ec7
19 June 2025
Cassinelli, Emma H.
47d678ac-1655-4ca3-91e5-3cec8ec4cc29
Kent, Lisa
ea2bd8ea-c947-440c-afdb-bc0c944cefec
Eastwood, Kelly-Ann
afd0bb6a-7f67-4e5d-878d-58b782cf96a9
Schoenaker, Danielle A.J.M.
84b96b87-4070-45a5-9777-5a1e4e45e818
McKinley, Michelle C.
3d6bc430-60d9-4c10-903c-4dabbec4317f
McGowan, Laura
af0884a3-c82d-4710-8c1d-0db49e9b0ec7
Cassinelli, Emma H., Kent, Lisa, Eastwood, Kelly-Ann, Schoenaker, Danielle A.J.M., McKinley, Michelle C. and McGowan, Laura
(2025)
Preconception health indicators and deprivation: a cross-sectional study using national maternity healthcare data.
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 132 (13), .
(doi:10.1111/1471-0528.18256).
Abstract
Objective: to use routinely-collected maternity healthcare data to (1) describe the prevalence of key preconception indicators (e.g., smoking, folic acid supplement use) and (2) explore differences in prevalence by deprivation.
Design: retrospective population-based study.
Setting: Northern Ireland (NI).
Population: 255 177 pregnancies recorded in the Northern Ireland MATernity System (NIMATS).
Methods: anonymised NIMATS data recorded during antenatal booking appointments (2011-2021) were accessed through the Honest Broker Service and analysed using R. Prevalences were calculated for each indicator, and logistic regression models explored the relationships between each preconception indicator and area-level deprivation quintiles. The indicators included were selected based on the current evidence base, availability in NIMATS, indicator modifiability and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement.
Main outcome measures: preconception indicators, including behavioural factors (e.g., planned pregnancy), pre-existing health conditions (e.g., severe mental health) and area-based deprivation.
Results: a high proportion of women had sub-optimal preconception indicators (e.g., 21.3% living with obesity). Women living in the most deprived quintile generally had a higher prevalence of risk factors than women in the least deprived quintile (e.g., smoking prevalence was 25.7% in the most deprived quintile and 5.6% in the least deprived quintile).
Conclusions: population-based maternity data in NI highlight many areas of women's preconception health that require improvement and support, especially for women living in the areas of greatest deprivation. Although these findings are a reference point to inform interventions, policy and ongoing monitoring of preconception health in NI, they should be interpreted in light of the methodological limitations of the data.
Text
BJOG - 2025 - Cassinelli - Preconception Health Indicators and Deprivation A Cross‐Sectional Study Using National
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 30 May 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 June 2025
Published date: 19 June 2025
Keywords:
administrative data, inequalities, maternal health, population data, preconception health
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506581
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506581
ISSN: 1470-0328
PURE UUID: cde36c36-de27-4e4f-8a21-c299a0a1ab21
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Date deposited: 11 Nov 2025 17:56
Last modified: 19 Nov 2025 17:30
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Contributors
Author:
Emma H. Cassinelli
Author:
Lisa Kent
Author:
Kelly-Ann Eastwood
Author:
Michelle C. McKinley
Author:
Laura McGowan
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