Empowerment of Families and Women in Preconception: a Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Preconception health plays a vital role in preparing for a healthy pregnancy. Readiness for pregnancy is influenced by a woman’s level of knowledge, health behaviours, family support, access to healthcare services, and psychosocial circumstances; however, scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of various health promotion interventions during the preconception period remains scattered across diverse contexts and therefore requires comprehensive synthesis. The aim of this study is to review the scientific evidence regarding the empowerment of families or women and health promotion during the preconception period, as well as the associated factors.

This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology, analysing seven research articles published between 2016 and 2026 using the PICOS approach, sourced from PubMed, ScienceDirect, DOAJ and Google Scholar. Data were analysed narratively to identify the forms of intervention, supporting factors, and various outcomes related to preconception health. Assessment of the quality of studies using the JBI checklist.

The findings of the study indicate that interventions involving families, health education, support from healthcare professionals, couples’ counselling, social support, and the use of digital technology can improve reproductive knowledge, family support, nutritional status, health literacy, and readiness for pregnancy. The success of preconception health behaviours is influenced by several key factors, namely family support, the availability of healthcare facilities, self-efficacy, individual motivation, and access to accurate and reliable information; however, a number of studies have also revealed the emotional burden, stress and feelings of guilt experienced by women during the process of preparing for pregnancy.

The conclusion of this study is that comprehensive preconception health promotion involving families has been shown to contribute to improving women’s readiness for pregnancy and their health behaviours. The effectiveness of the intervention is influenced by the interaction of various factors at the individual, family, social and healthcare system levels. The development of preconception health programmes needs to integrate family empowerment, psychosocial support, continuous education, and the use of digital technology.