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. 2026 Jan 9;7:1702378. doi: 10.3389/frph.2025.1702378

Table 6.

Protective factors influence the awareness and knowledge of preconception care among women in Africa.

Theme Specific protective factor Authors
Sociodemographic factors Being a young adult (38, 43, 45, 46, 49, 55)
Being a teenager and young adult (60)
Having no education (48, 57)
Having a tertiary education (46)
Secondary education (43)
Being in primary and secondary education (36)
Having a formal education (38)
Being a Yoruba or Hausa (41, 46)
Being married (36, 39, 46, 49)
Living in urban area (60)
Reproductive health factors Parity (38, 39, 46, 48, 55, 58)
Gravidity 1 and 2–4 (48)
Stillbirths ≤ 0 (41)
Preterm births ≤ 0 (41)
Abortions ≤ 0 (41)
Had pregnancy planned (57)
Socioeconomic factors Being a civil/government servant, (46, 51)
Being a housewife, student, government employee, and private business (42, 51, 53)
Not employed (36, 43)
Monthly income between 1,001–5,000 birr (53, 59)
Health services and access factors Sufficient ANC visits in the current pregnancy (43)
Using a long-acting family planning prior to the recent pregnancy (60)
Received health education (36)
Receiving PCC counseling (58)
Being informed about PCC in perinatal periods (56)
Medical and surgical history Not having any chronic diseases (48)
Had corrective surgery (55)
No history of neonatal death (42)
Social support system Having joint plan discussion with partner (48)
Having husband support (48)
Health information sources Midwives, doctors' and media as sources (36)
Community meetings related to PCC (57)
Had a radio/TV (57, 60)
Having healthcare provider friends (57)
Having healthcare provider relatives (57)