Members of the Partnership have engaged with the public in a number of projects to explore public perceptions, improve language and inform current and ongoing research. Read more about the work below.
A project led by Dr Danielle Schoenaker (University of Southampton) established a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group in 2021 to develop a set of language recommendations that can be used to describe ‘preconception health’ and to formulate public health messages in a meaningful and appropriate way.
These recommendations have contributed to the language and messages used in the #ReadyforPregnancy campaign, and an online poster providing information on key steps to take when thinking about having a baby – now or in the near future.
The findings, outcomes and reflections on the project have so far been published in blogs for Chrysalis and Public Policy Southampton, and the abstract of a conference presentation has been published in The Lancet.
We are grateful to the PPI group’s feedback on the logo and website design for the Preconception Partnership, and their ongoing contributions to our research and activities.
Dr Jennifer Hall (UCL) holds an NIHR Fellowship to look at pregnancy prevention, preparation and planning, the P3 Study. In 2021 a public and patient involvement group was set up to guide the interpretation of results from the studies in this portfolio and to inform plans for intervention development and implementation.
A survey conducted by Tommy’s and University College London explored public perceptions on preconception health and opportunities for engagement in clinical and healthcare settings.
Are you a member of the public, and would you like to contribute to shaping our research and activities to improve preconception health and care, please contact us at preconceptionpartnership@ucl.ac.uk.
Image credit: World Obesity Federation