Interconception Care Research Articles

Australian women’s experiences and perceptions of interconception care: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundInterconception, the time between pregnancies, is an opportunity to improve the health outcomes of women, infants and subsequent pregnancies. Interconception care involves the assessment of previous pregnancy outcomes, management of...

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act Evaluation Framework to Improve the Recruitment of Women Experiencing Homelessness: Lessons Learned.

Strategic recruitment is necessary to reach recruiting goals when conducting research with vulnerable and transient populations, such as postpartum women experiencing homelessness. The current study evaluated the recruitment process for a qualitative study using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method. In a study conducting semistructured interviews about reproductive interconception care barriers and facilitators for local women who were recently pregnant and homeless in 2022, PDSA cycles were used to improve community organizations' assistance with identifying participants, facilitate screening and interviewing processes, and ensure participants were safeguarded. Iterative PDSA cycles were conducted across a 20-week period. Ultimately, 12 women were interviewed, with increasing participant location and organizational assistance over time. Following 4 key lessons were identified: provide in-person and remote options for conducting data collection; include fair compensation that balances time versus study coercion; weigh feasibility versus importance of sample size with eligibility criteria; and support partnerships with organization connections. The PDSA method served as a parsimonious framework for evaluation. The lessons learned will help facilitate future recruitment efforts for this difficult-to-recruit and vulnerable population.

Interconception care during well-child visits by family physicians in the United States: A cross-sectional study.

Interconception care (ICC) by family physicians during well-child visits (WCVs) has been broadly advocated in principle but has not been widely implemented. We aimed to investigate ICC at WCVs by family physicians at our facility, focusing on four maternal risk factors, including maternal tobacco use, maternal depression, contraception, and folic acid supplementation. Mothers who visited WCVs with children up to the age of 24 months at our university-affiliated clinic were screened for the four maternal risks. Brief interventions were provided to mothers with positive screening results. We investigated mothers at WCVs from December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2022. We performed descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses to determine the maternal demographic factors associated with positive screenings. Of 1143 WCVs, 205 mothers were evaluated. Screening was positive in the following rates: tobacco use 5.9%, depression 11.5%, contraception 73.6%, and folic acid supplementation 40.5%. Single marital status was associated with positive screening for smoking (odds ratio [OR] 8.689, p = 0.016) and maternal depression (OR 3.470, p = 0.035). Maternal education level lower than a high school diploma was associated with positive screening for folic acid intake (OR 4.975, p = 0.004). ICC conducted during WCVs by family physicians offers valuable opportunities to identify maternal risk factors and address modifiable factors that can influence future birth outcomes. Single marital status and educational level less than a high school diploma were more potent risk factors for maternal behavior in ICC. More research is needed to assess the outcomes of the interventions.

The MidPIC study: Midwives’ knowledge, perspectives and learning needs regarding preconception and interconception care

Preconception and interconception care improves health outcomes of women and communities. Little is known about how prepared and willing Australian midwives are to provide preconception and interconception care. The aim of this study was to explore midwives’ knowledge, perspectives and learning needs, and barriers and enablers to delivering preconception and interconception care. We conducted a cross-sectional exploratory study of midwives working in any Australian maternity setting. An online survey measured midwives’ self-rated knowledge; education needs and preferences; attitudes towards pre and interconception care; and views on barriers, enablers; and, future service and workforce planning. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and demographic characteristics (e.g., years of experience, model of care) associated with knowledge and attitudes regarding pre- and interconception care were examined using univariate logistic regression analysis. Qualitative data were captured through open-ended questions and analysed using inductive content analysis. We collected responses from (n = 338) midwives working across all models of care (full survey completion rate 96%). Most participants (n = 290; 85%) rated their overall knowledge about pre and interconception health as excellent, above average or average. Participants with over 11 years of experience were more likely to report above average to excellent knowledge (OR 3.11; 95% CI 1.09, 8.85). Online e-learning was the most preferred format for education on this topic (n = 244; 72%). Most (n = 257; 76%) reported interest in providing pre and interconception care more regularly and that this is within the midwifery scope of practice (n = 292; 87%). Low prioritisation in service planning was the most frequently selected barrier to providing preconception and interconception care, whereas continuity models and hybrid child health settings were reported as enablers of pre and interconception care provision. Findings revealed that midwives are prepared and willing to provide preconception and interconception care. Pre and post registration professional development; service and funding reform; and policy development are critical to enable Australian midwives’ provision of pre and interconception care.

Homelessness in the Perinatal Period and Associations With Reproductive Interconception Care: 2016-2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

Women experiencing homelessness have higher rates of unintended pregnancy than stably housed women and may benefit from reproductive interconception care. How reproductive interconception care differs between women who did and did not experience perinatal homelessness is not known. We estimated prevalence ratios of reproductive interconception behaviors among US women experiencing homelessness during the perinatal period. We used data from the 2016-2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System to calculate the prevalence of 5 reproductive interconception care outcomes: attending a maternal postpartum checkup, participating in a conversation with a health care provider about birth intervals, receiving family planning counseling, obtaining a prescription for short-acting contraception, and having a long-acting reversible contraceptive inserted. We used complex survey weights, stratified by perinatal homelessness, and converted adjusted logistic regression odds ratios between housing status and outcome variables to adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% CIs. Among participants, approximately 2.4% (weighted percentage; unweighted 2953 of 100 706) experienced homelessness sometime in the 12 months before their children were born; the majority were non-Hispanic (83.2%) and White (69.4%), were not married (82.2%), and had public health insurance (56.8%). Perinatal homelessness was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of attending a postpartum maternal visit (aPR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87-0.94) and a higher prevalence of having a conversation about birth intervals with their health care providers (aPR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.21). Findings suggest that improving attendance at postpartum visits and evaluating birth interval conversations may strengthen interconception care practices while contextualizing social determinants such as housing stability. Improving uptake of postpartum visits may reduce unintended pregnancy, short birth intervals, and adverse birth outcomes in future pregnancies among women experiencing homelessness.

Reproductive Interconception Care Among Women Recently Pregnant and Homeless: A Qualitative Analysis.

Reproductive interconception care provided at maternal postpartum visits may help reduce unintended pregnancies and elongate birth intervals for women experiencing homelessness. To improve interconception care uptake, this qualitative study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to reproductive interconception care from the perspectives of women who were recently pregnant and homeless. A semi-structured interview guide and demographic survey were developed based on epidemiological findings, Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skill framework components, and a review by community health workers for content validity. After conducting 12 interviews with women recently pregnant and homeless in a local continuum of care in 2022, audio-recorded interviews were transcribed, iteratively coded using a priori and emerging codes, and thematically analyzed. Key themes were identified to determine implications and next steps to improving reproductive interconception care uptake. Interrelated themes focused on information (e.g., knowledge and misconceptions about pregnancy, birth intervals, contraception), motivation (e.g., attitudes about interconception care experiences, perinatal social influences), behavioral skills (e.g., objective ability to obtain interconception care and perceived self-efficacy related to attending maternal postpartum visits and increasing birth intervals), and macro-level factors (e.g., obtaining housing, contextualizing socioeconomic factors, navigating COVID-19). The findings suggest the need for flexible, streamlined, and personalized interconception care delivery that acknowledges pressing housing and relationship considerations and supports women's autonomy. Improvements to reproductive interconception care may reduce future unintended pregnancies, increase birth intervals, and improve birth outcomes among women experiencing homelessness.

Interconception care in Australian general practice: a qualitative study.

GPs provide care for women across the lifespan. This care currently includes preconception and postpartum phases of a woman's life. Interconception care (ICC) addresses women's health issues between pregnancies that then have impact on maternal and infant outcomes, such as lifestyle and biomedical risks, interpregnancy intervals, and contraception provision. However, ICC in general practice is not well established. To explore GP perspectives about ICC. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with GPs between May and July 2018. Eighteen GPs were purposively recruited from South-Eastern Australia. Audiorecorded semi- structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using the Framework Method. Most participants were unfamiliar with the concept of ICC. Delivery was mainly opportunistic, depending on the woman's presenting need. Rather than a distinct and required intervention, participants conceptualised components of ICC as forming part of routine practice. GPs described many challenges including lack of clarity about recommended ICC content and timing, lack of engagement and perceived value from mothers, and time constraints during consultations. Facilitators included care continuity and the availability of patient education material. Findings indicate that ICC is not a familiar concept for GPs, who feel that they have limited capacity to deliver such care. Further research to evaluate patient perspectives and potential models of care is required before ICC improvements can be developed, trialled, and evaluated. These models could include the colocation of multidisciplinary services and services in combination with well-child visits.

Interconception Care for Adolescent Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Interconception care (ICC) is a means of improving health outcomes for women and children by mitigating maternal risks between pregnancies. Within a pediatric medical home ICC is reliant on adherence to well-child visits (WCVs). We hypothesized that a pediatric-based ICC model would remain successful in providing access to services for adolescent women for those seen during the COVID19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine if the COVID19 pandemic influenced LARC use and repeat pregnancy for those seen for ICC in a dyadic pediatric medical home. The pre-COVID cohort was comprised of adolescent women seen for ICC from September 2018-October 2019. The COVID cohort was comprised of adolescent women seen for ICC from March 2020-March 2021. The two cohorts were compared across multiple characteristics including sociodemographic factors, age, education, number of visits, contraceptive choice and repeat pregnancy during the study interval. The COVID cohort were significantly more likely to be primiparous, seen with a younger infant, and attend fewer visits than the pre-COVID cohort. The COVID cohort were equally likely to initiate long-acting reversible contraception but less likely to experience a repeat pregnancy. The COVID19 pandemic limited access to routine healthcare and likely impacted access to ICC for many women. ICC provided during WCVs allowed access to care even amid the restrictions of the COVID19 pandemic. Both effective contraception and decreased repeat pregnancy were maintained, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach for ICC within a dyadic pediatric medical home.

Scoping review into models of interconception care delivered at well-child visits for the Australian context.

The interconception period provides an opportunity to address women's health risks and optimise birth spacing before the next pregnancy. This scoping review aimed to identify models of interconception care (ICC) delivered at well-child visits (WCVs) around the world, review the impacts of ICC delivered, and what the feasibility and applicability of these models were. The global review included clinical studies that that were identified using medical subject headings (MeSH) and keyword combinations. Studies were included if they met the criteria: were clinical studies; examined a model of ICC; were conducted by a registered health professional; and examined women who had given birth within the last 24-months. The following databases were searched: Medline (OVID); CINAHL (EBSCO); PubMed; and Embase (OVID). Relevant studies were screened in Covidence and the data was then extracted using a narrative analysis. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The benefits of ICC delivered at WCVs included screening for maternal health behaviours and conditions and increase women's uptake of interventions. The studies identified that implementing ICC at WCVs was acceptable to women. Identified challenges included lack of time for health providers, lack of education among women and health providers, and limited funding for WCVs. ICC interventions found in this review included family planning counselling and provision of long-acting contraception; health promotion of folic acid; and postpartum depression screening. The research concluded that ICC delivered at WCVs contributes to improving health behaviours for future pregnancies. Increased capacity for this care at WCVs could be achieved with targeted resources and time allocation.

S-25-6: INTERCONCEPTION CARE FOR THE WOMEN WHO SUFFERED FROM HYPERTENSIVE DISORDERS OF PREGNANCY

Interconception Care is Care provided to mothers between pregnancies to improve health outcomes for patients (and their infants). It is important to view postpartum care and preconception care as a continuum, and emphasizes the evaluation of a patients health through a life course perspective that acknowledges the influence of pregnancy on health trajectory. Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) such as hypertensive disordes of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, placental abruption, and miscarriages, stillbirths, are at high risk for future development of chronic diseases or Atherosclerotic CVD. Some guidelines recommend that health care providers inform women affected by APO of the risks of future disease and instruct them to maintain a healthy lifestyle postpartum. Referral to an appropriate health provider is recommended, too. However, a clear follow-up system for these women has not yet been established. One reason for this is the lack of evidence for risk stratification and corresponding management during the interconception period, taking into account the next pregnancy. There might also be a lack of awareness among health care providers (especially primary care physicians or internists) about these women. Comprehensive care is needed for postpartum women including prevention and management of chronic disease, pregnancy history, family planning, preconception counseling, postpartum weight management, and postpartum mental health care. This presentation will present the risk of future development of chronic disease in women affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy from our cohort study, and will discuss the management of women during the interconception period.

A scoping review of nutritional interventions and policy guidelines in the interconception period for prevention of noncommunicable diseases

AbstractIntroductionThe interconception period is considered a time when parents are likely to engage with health messages and are in frequent contact with healthcare professionals. Through this scoping review and policy analysis, we synthesized articles and guidelines on interconception care to provide recommendations to improve health outcomes for parents, infants and future generations.MethodsFour databases were searched systematically, using Medical Subject Headings and free‐text terms based on ‘interconception’ and ‘postpartum.’ Selected articles included systematic reviews, pilot studies and guidelines on interconception and postpartum interventions published globally and in English by UK public health organizations and government agencies between 1 January 2010 and 12 January 2021. Thirty percent of titles, abstracts and full‐text papers were double‐screened. The description table of identified guidelines was used as a template to qualitatively generate key categories, which later developed into a framework of six domains. Findings are described using a narrative synthesis approach.ResultsWe found 47 documents with guidelines, 29 systematic reviews and 6 pilot studies on interconception and postpartum care. Six domains were generated as follows: interconception care, nutrition‐specific, nutrition‐sensitive, personal‐centred care, health professional, and multistakeholder approach. Interconception care opportunities include the postpartum period, family planning, routine practice and risk assessments. Health and nonhealthcare professionals with roles to play in the interconception period include general pratitioners, health visitors, dieticians, nutritionists, health psychologists, community groups, local authorities and charities such as Tommy's and First Step Nutrition.ConclusionsThe interconception and postpartum periods offer crucial opportunities to intervene, to reduce possible long‐term effects of suboptimal nutrition. Although the policy analysis for this scoping review focused on the United Kingdom, the literature review had a global focus and the recommendations can have wider implications for other countries.

Supporting Success: ASTHO's Strategies for Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity.

Supporting Success: ASTHO's Strategies for Reducing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity.

Interconception Care and Safe Sleep: Adapting the IMPLICIT Toolkit for Pediatrics.

A woman's health in the interconception period has an impact on birth outcomes. Pediatric visits offer a unique opportunity to provide interconception care (ICC). Our aim was to screen and provide interconception and safe sleep screening, counseling, and interventions for 50% of caregivers of children <2 years of age in a pediatric medical setting. Two pediatric clinics implemented the March of Dimes' Interventions to Minimize Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants Through Continuous Improvement Techniques (IMPLICIT) toolkit, in addition to standardized safe sleep assessments. A quality improvement learning collaborative was formed with a local "infant mortality champion" leading quality improvement efforts. Monthly webinars with the clinic teams reviewed project successes and challenges. Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications was used to document adaptations. For each individual IMPLICIT domain, clinics screened and provided needed interventions for ICC and safe sleep in >50% of eligible encounters. Over the course of the quality improvement learning collaborative, the number of caregivers screened for at least 4 of the 5 IMPLICIT domains increased from 0% to 95%. To successfully implement the IMPLICIT toolkit in pediatrics, adaptations were made to the existing model, which had previously been used in family medicine clinics. Pediatricians should consider providing ICC as an innovative way to impact infant mortality rates in their community. Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications can be used to systematically describe the adaptations needed to improve the fit of IMPLICIT in the pediatric clinic, understand the process of change and potential application to local context.

Interventions and guidelines for promoting maternal and child health in the interconception period: a literature and policy review

BackgroundInterconception is defined as the period of time between pregnancies or the first 24 months post partum. During interconception, visits for maternal and child health offer the opportunity for parents to be engaged with health messages, and the health-care professionals involved are more easily identifiable than in the preconception period. Beneficial outcomes, such as improved weight management and nutritional intake, might be reached in a shorter timescale in the interconception period than in the preconception period. We aimed to synthesise articles and guidelines on interconception care to develop recommendations for research, public health policy, and practice. MethodsIn this literature review and policy analysis, we searched four academic databases (Cochrane library, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), using MeSH and free-text terms (including but not limited to “interconception”, “post-partum”, “nutrition”, “diet”, and “primary care”), for reviews published in English on nutrition for parents in the interconception and post-partum period between Jan 1, 2010, and Jan 21, 2021. Outcomes related to maternal nutrition and weight management were considered. A scoping search on interconception pilot studies and a review of guidelines published by UK public health organisations and government agencies were also conducted online. Strength of evidence was assessed for review articles by two reviewers using Health Evidence guidelines developed by McMaster University, Canada. Findings were analysed as a narrative synthesis. FindingsWe included 47 documents from a scoping search of grey literature and websites, 29 full-text review articles (after screening 1780 titles and abstracts), and six pilot studies from our database search on interconception and post-partum care. 535 (30%) of 1780 titles and abstracts, and 23 (33%) of 70 full-text papers, were double-screened by another reviewer to ensure consistency. Most reviews were of strong quality (20 [69%]), followed by moderate (seven [24%]), and weak (two [7%]). Interconception care opportunities for parents include the post-partum period, family planning, routine practice, and risk assessment. Various stakeholders have a role in interconception care including general practitioners, health visitors, dieticians, nutritionists, health psychologists, community groups, local authorities, and charities. The guidelines advise increased utilisation of existing community-based services. InterpretationInterconception offers an opportunity for health-care professionals to promote maternal health through routine appointments, but training in communication skills based on empowering behaviour-change principles will be required. Risk assessments should be conducted on the basis of previous pregnancy outcomes—eg, follow-up care following gestational diabetes. Although we found little evidence on interventions in the interconception period, this review provides recommendations for UK health-care systems that could improve life-course health for mothers and potentially their offspring—eg, by reducing childhood obesity. FundingRANK Foundation and Public Policy Southampton.

Interconception Care for Primary Care Providers: Consensus Recommendations on Preconception and Postpartum Management of Reproductive-Age Patients With Medical Comorbidities.

Severe maternal morbidity and mortality continue to increase in the United States, largely owing to chronic and newly diagnosed medical comorbidities. Interconception care, or care and management of medical conditions between pregnancies, can improve chronic disease control before, during, and after pregnancy. It is a crucial and time-sensitive intervention that can decrease maternal morbidity and mortality and improve overall health. Despite these potential benefits, interconception care has not been well implemented by the primary care community. Furthermore, there is a lack of guidelines for optimizing preconception chronic disease, risk stratifying postpartum chronic diseases, and recommending general collaborative management principles for reproductive-age patients in the period between pregnancies. As a result, many primary care providers, especially those without obstetric training, are unclear about their specific role in interconception care and may be unsure of effective methods for collaborating with obstetric care providers. In particular, internal medicine physicians, the largest group of primary care physicians, may lack sufficient clinical exposure to medical conditions in the obstetric population during their residency training and may feel uncomfortable in caring for these patients in their subsequent practice.The objective of this article is to review concepts around interconception care, focusing specifically on preconception care for patients with chronic medical conditions (eg, chronic hypertension, chronic diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, venous thromboembolism, and obesity) and postpartum care for those with medically complicated pregnancies (eg, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, excessive gestational weight gain, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and peripartum mood disorders). We also provide a pragmatic checklist for preconception and postpartum management.

Implementing Interconception Care in a Dyadic Adolescent Mother-Child Clinic.

The birth of a second child to an adolescent woman worsens the adverse medical, socioeconomic, educational, and parenting outcomes for the woman and her children. Despite the known high efficacy of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), many postpartum adolescents use less effective or no contraception. Interconception care (ICC) focuses on modifying maternal risks between pregnancies and promoting healthy birth spacing to improve outcomes for women and children. Research shows that women regularly attend their child's health care visits even if they do not seek care for themselves between pregnancies. These visits present a potential opportunity for providers to educate women on available LARC options. In an adolescent mother-child clinic, demographic and ICC screening data were collected on women presenting for well child visits of children age 0-24months. These data were analyzed using logistic regression models to identify independent predictors of LARC initiation and repeat pregnancy. Mother-child dyads were screened an average of two times in the study period. Participants with only one visit were less likely to initiate LARC. Of the participants, 5.5% became pregnant again, with patients having only one ICC visit being slightly, but not significantly more likely. Hispanic ethnicity and having ≥ 2 visits were significant independent predictors of LARC initiation. The only independent predictor of repeat pregnancy was not initiating LARC. This study suggests that optimal ICC may rely on consistent and frequent touch points with providers and not solely on the medical management during the interconception period, making it adaptable to a traditional pediatric medical home. Tying the worlds of pediatric and maternal healthcare is pivotal for successful ICC.

Interconception Care for Mothers at Well Child Visits After Implementation of the IMPLICIT Model.

Interconception care (ICC) is recommended to reduce maternal risk factors for poor birth outcomes between pregnancies. The IMPLICIT ICC model includes screening and brief intervention for mothers at well child visits (WCVs) for smoking, depression, multivitamin use, and family planning. Prior studies demonstrate feasibility and acceptability among providers and mothers, but not whether mothers recall receipt of targeted messages. Mothers accompanying their child at 12- and 24-month WCVs at four sites of a family medicine academic practice were surveyed pre (2012) and post (2018) ICC model implementation. Survey items assessed health history, behaviors, and report of whether their child's physician addressed maternal depression, tobacco use, family planning, and folic acid supplementation during WCVs. Pre and post results are compared using logistic regression adjusting for demographics and insurance. Our sample included 307 distinct mothers with 108 and 199 respondents in the pre and post periods, respectively. Mothers were more likely to report discussions with their child's doctor post-intervention for family planning (31% pre to 86% post; aOR 18.65), depression screening (63-85%; aOR 5.22), and taking a folic acid supplement (53-68%; aOR 2.54). Among mothers who smoked, the percentage that reported their child's doctor recommended cessation increased from 56 to 75% (aOR = 3.66). The IMPLICIT ICC model resulted in increased reported health care provider discussions of four key areas of interconception health by mothers attending WCVs. This model holds promise as a primary care strategy to systematically address maternal risks associated with poor pregnancy outcomes.

Providing Interconception Care during Pediatric Visits: A Quality Improvement Learning Collabortive to Impact Infant Mortality

Providing Interconception Care during Pediatric Visits: A Quality Improvement Learning Collabortive to Impact Infant Mortality

Interconception care.

The importance of interconception care - defined as care given to women, and their partners, between one pregnancy and thenext to optimise their health - is increasingly important, with rising rates ofoverweight, obesity, diabetes and hypertension among people of reproductive age. Women frequently visit their general practitioner (GP) in the first six months postpartum. This is an opportune time to discuss ideal interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) and advise women about contraception and healthy behaviours. The aim of this article is to review available research and guidelines on interconception care and IPIs, and propose best-practice care for the general practice setting. GPs are uniquely placed to deliver the different aspects of interconception care including reviewing the outcomes of the previous pregnancy, advising women on optimal IPIs and providing contraception and lifestyle guidance. Studies have found that GPs may feel they lack the time and resources to provide interconception care, but support is available through online tools and easy-to-access checklists. As the prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases increases, interconception care has the potential to reduce future adverse perinatal outcomes.

Predictors of Insufficient Preconception Multivitamin Use: An IMPLICIT Network Study.

Adequate maternal nutrition before pregnancy is important to reduce the risk of poor birth outcomes. However, patients report suboptimal intake of multivitamins with folic acid (MVIs). We conducted a quality improvement study to identify predictors of insufficient multivitamin use in women of childbearing age at five University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) family health centers that implemented the IMPLICIT interconception care (ICC) model of maternal health screenings during well-child visits (WCVs). We derived this analysis from a retrospective chart review of patient-reported demographic information and physician documented maternal behaviors of 758 women who accompanied their children to 2,706 total well-child visits. Insufficient multivitamin use was defined as having one or more visits where the mother reported that she was not taking multivitamins. Insufficient multivitamin use at these health centers was associated with younger age (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92, 0.98), less than high school education (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.56-6.80), public insurance (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.05-2.34), and increased number of well-child visits attended (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.31-1.61). Among women who received screening, younger, low-income, and less educated women are likely to benefit from targeted interventions to improve multivitamin use during the interconception period. Findings also suggest that WCVs are a viable access point to assess and address multivitamin use and other desired maternal health behaviors.