Opportunities and challenges for enhancing of preconception health among reproductive age groups of women in Mekele, Tigray Ethiopia 2018/9

Abstract Background preconception care involves in preventing and detecting of early disease before pregnancy occurred and has potential benefit both for the mother and her fetus. It prevents plenty of perinatal complications and now a days well organized and systematic preconception care services is mandatory in developing countries. Objective To explore opportunities and challenges for enhancing preconception health in Mekele, Tigray Ethiopia 2018/9. Methods Phenomenology study design was employed and sample size was determined by saturation of data. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit study participants and method of data collection was in-depth interview. Method of data analysis was by atlas ti 7. Audios were transcribed first and translated to English version, then after codes were given and finally themes were developed. Result in this study a total of ten reproductive age group females were interviewed and their minimum and maximum age were 24&43 years respectively. Opportunities and challenges were explored from the participants’ perception; they explained that health extension workers, previous experience, family planning (condom) and friend’s incident were among contributing factors for enhancing of preconception care and in the counterpart carelessness, less awareness, unplanned pregnancy, unwillingness and poor paternal coordination were the challenges mentioned by the respondents which were recognized as obstacles not to attend preconception care. They explained that again failure to attend preconception care may end up with complicated perinatal outcome like anemia, abortion, hypertension, neural tube defect, preterm labor and low birth weight. Conclusion and recommendation overall the participants had poor awareness and little experience of preconception care. Preconception is overlooked and less attention is given based on the respondents thought, though it has invaluable contribution in future health of both the mother and fetus. The health system should gave emphasis to prevent those maternal and neonatal complication by mobilizing both the community members and health professional