The why, what and how of preconception care: an exploratory descriptive qualitative study in Karnataka, India

BACKGROUND: Women’s health and nutrition are key to their reproductive health and are important for optimising pregnancy outcomes. Formation of most foetal organs starts soon after conception and much before the woman has her first antenatal visit. The provision of biomedical, behavioural and social interventions to couples to address health, nutrition, behaviour issues and individual environmental risk factors that could contribute to improved maternal and child health outcomes before conception is crucial. Most rural women in India, do not seek pregnancy care before the second trimester because of socio-cultural factors. Therefore, intervening in the preconception period is important. The objective of the study was to explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing preconception care interventions. METHODS: Individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 25) were conducted with primary stakeholders (newly married women, newly married men, and family members) in Shorapur taluk of Yadgir district and Devadurga taluk of Raichur district. Thirty-one interviews were conducted with taluk, district, state officials and academicians. This descriptive qualitative study conducted four focus group discussions with front-line health workers. The in-depth interviews (IDIs) and Focus-group discussions (FGDs) used separate pre-tested semi-structured interview/discussion guides. Data analysis was carried out using NVivo software using a phenomenological approach with both inductive and deductive analysis. RESULTS: A strong influence of social and cultural norms shapes healthcare-seeking behaviour at the community level. Poor dietary diversity, lack of awareness, poor literacy levels, work pressure for women, lack of decision-making power and empowerment among women, pressure to conceive early, and gender norms are the roadblocks to successful preconception care programs in the rural Karnataka setting. The stakeholders expressed the need for interventions during the preconception period. The government functionaries recommended several interventions which could be potentially integrated into the existing Reproductive Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH + A) strategy to improve the health and nutrition of women before they conceive. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need for structured interventions during the preconception period to improve maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. The recommendations provided by government functionaries are indicative of the feasibility of integrating interventions in the RMNCH + A strategy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-023-01180-6.