The relationship between pregnancy intention and preconception health behaviors

ObjectiveTo describe smoking, heavy drinking, and folic acid supplementation in preconception women and determine if the likelihood of healthy preconception behaviors differs by whether and when women intend future pregnancy.MethodsAnalysis was based on 35,351 nonpregnant women who participated in the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System who were of reproductive age (18–44 years), sexually active, and capable of future pregnancy. The association between future pregnancy intention and preconception behaviors was determined adjusting for diabetes, weight category, age group, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, and children living in household.ResultsEighty percent of women were non-smokers, 94.3% were non-heavy drinkers, and 42.6% were daily folic acid users. In adjusted analysis, only the odds of folic acid supplementation remained higher in women intending pregnancy in the next 12 months (adjusted odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–2.04) compared with women not intending future pregnancy. Women intending pregnancy later or ambivalent about future pregnancy were no more likely to be engaging in healthy preconception behaviors than women not intending future pregnancy.ConclusionWomen intending pregnancy within 12 months were more likely to use folic acid, but pregnancy intention was not associated with preconception smoking or heavy drinking.

Research Highlights
► We studied whether women intending pregnancy were more likely to have healthy preconception behaviors.
► Folic acid supplementation was higher in women intending pregnancy soon.
► Women intending pregnancy soon were no more likely to be non-smokers or non-heavy drinkers than women not intending pregnancy.