Preconceptional counseling knowledge andattitudes of Trakya University Faculty of medicineintern doctors

Preconception care is the provision of appropriate interventions to identify and minimize factors that may pose a risk to pregnancy, maternal and child health in the preconception period. Preconception care is a part of preventive health services. Physicians have a great role in providing this care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the preconception counseling knowledge and attitudes of phase 6 students of Trakya University School of Medicine. The population of this descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of intern doctors between 01.05.2023 - 01.08.2023. There were 238 students in phase 6 during the specified period. The study included 186 students who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire, the first part of which questioned the sociodemographic information of the participants and the second part of which included questions about preconception care. Of the participants, 85 (45.7%) were male and 101 (54.3%) were female. The mean age of the study population was 24.4±1.3 years, 24.3±1.2 in females and 24.5±1.3 in males. When asked whether they had heard of the concept of preconception care and counseling before, 125 (67.2%) participants reported yes and 61 (32.8%) participants reported no. Of those who had heard the concept of preconception care, 58% stated that they had heard it in faculty courses. The number of correct answers of the participants who exercised regularly was significantly higher than the participants who did not exercise regularly. The most frequently incorrect questions were questions related to nutrition. According to the results of the study, the level of preconception counseling knowledge of intern doctors is quite low. Intern doctors are generally aware of the risk factors that may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, it was observed that their level of knowledge on how to take precautions and intervene not only during pregnancy but also before pregnancy should be increased. Keywords: Preconception Care, Internship, Family Medicine, Attitudes