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Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students

Objective: The preconception health (PCH) strategy provides a unique opportunity to reduce risk factors for adverse reproductive outcomes before pregnancy. However, many reproductive-aged individuals continue to miss opportunities to improve their health before pregnancy occurs. This study, qualitat...

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Autores principales: Doe, Patience Fakornam, Hormenu, Thomas, Enyan, Nancy Innocentia Ebu
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9287114/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35903770
http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v16i1.8593
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author Doe, Patience Fakornam
Hormenu, Thomas
Enyan, Nancy Innocentia Ebu
author_facet Doe, Patience Fakornam
Hormenu, Thomas
Enyan, Nancy Innocentia Ebu
author_sort Doe, Patience Fakornam
collection PubMed
description Objective: The preconception health (PCH) strategy provides a unique opportunity to reduce risk factors for adverse reproductive outcomes before pregnancy. However, many reproductive-aged individuals continue to miss opportunities to improve their health before pregnancy occurs. This study, qualitatively explored strategies required for integrating PCH promotion interventions into routine reproductive health services from university students’ perspectives. Materials and methods: We conducted eight mixed-gender focus group discussions (FGDs) with students in eight schools and faculties in the University from March 2019 to June 2019. Audio-taped data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed manually using inductive content analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged from the analysis of transcripts: interpersonal behavior change strategies, institutional policy directives, public policy interventions, and three main categories with eight sub-categories. The study showed that PCH promotion awareness campaigns, context-relevant service delivery initiatives, institutional and public policy directives are critical approaches for the delivery and uptake of PCH interventions. Participants also recommended prepayment schemes, walk-in services, mobile PCH clinics, and PCH incorporation into university curricula as context-specific strategies for PCH promotion among university students. Conclusion: PCH promotion could be feasible as an integral component of routine reproductive health services for university students. However, multi-level interventions at the student, health service, and institutional levels are necessary to increase awareness and facilitate the request and delivery of PCH services.
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spelling pubmed-92871142022-07-27 Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students Doe, Patience Fakornam Hormenu, Thomas Enyan, Nancy Innocentia Ebu J Family Reprod Health Original Article Objective: The preconception health (PCH) strategy provides a unique opportunity to reduce risk factors for adverse reproductive outcomes before pregnancy. However, many reproductive-aged individuals continue to miss opportunities to improve their health before pregnancy occurs. This study, qualitatively explored strategies required for integrating PCH promotion interventions into routine reproductive health services from university students’ perspectives. Materials and methods: We conducted eight mixed-gender focus group discussions (FGDs) with students in eight schools and faculties in the University from March 2019 to June 2019. Audio-taped data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed manually using inductive content analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged from the analysis of transcripts: interpersonal behavior change strategies, institutional policy directives, public policy interventions, and three main categories with eight sub-categories. The study showed that PCH promotion awareness campaigns, context-relevant service delivery initiatives, institutional and public policy directives are critical approaches for the delivery and uptake of PCH interventions. Participants also recommended prepayment schemes, walk-in services, mobile PCH clinics, and PCH incorporation into university curricula as context-specific strategies for PCH promotion among university students. Conclusion: PCH promotion could be feasible as an integral component of routine reproductive health services for university students. However, multi-level interventions at the student, health service, and institutional levels are necessary to increase awareness and facilitate the request and delivery of PCH services. Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2022-03 /pmc/articles/PMC9287114/ /pubmed/35903770 http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v16i1.8593 Text en Copyright © 2022 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Original Article
Doe, Patience Fakornam
Hormenu, Thomas
Enyan, Nancy Innocentia Ebu
Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title_full Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title_fullStr Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title_full_unstemmed Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title_short Integrating Preconception Health into Routine Reproductive Health Services of Ghana: A Qualitative Study Among University Students
title_sort integrating preconception health into routine reproductive health services of ghana: a qualitative study among university students
topic Original Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9287114/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35903770
http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/jfrh.v16i1.8593
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