Abstract
Background: Vitamins and mineral supplementation is key in the various stages of a woman's reproductive life.
Objective: To analyze the perceptions and behaviors of women of childbearing age in a developed country regarding the use of vitamin supplements from preconception to postpartum.
Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study of women of childbearing age conducted in Portugal between April and May 2023. Sample size and recruitment were planned to ensure national geographic representativeness of this population. Participants completed a questionnaire designed specifically for study purposes to characterize their perceptions and attitudes toward preconception and pregnancy-related vitamin supplementation. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel and SPSS Statistics 20.0.
Results: A total of 1,033 women aged 2049 completed the study survey. The gynecologist (72.3%), followed by the general practitioner (63.3%), were the main sources of information on preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum care for women with children. Only about half of these women (51.4%) had attended a preconception appointment for a median of 6 months before becoming pregnant. More than 80% of women (84%) had taken vitamin supplements as recommended by their doctor during their previous pregnancy, and two-thirds (65%) did it for more than three months. Among those who took folic acid, this figure was 76.9%. Folic acid was the most commonly used supplement (87%), followed by iron (66%), iodine (25%), vitamin D (13%), and others (16%). Most women (96.1%) had no history of fetal or infant congenital anomalies. Postnatally, although most women had attended appointments with the general practitioner or gynecologist (91.7%), only 35.6% used postpartum supplementation, mainly iron (34.5%), but also folic acid (17.3%) and others (iodine, vitamin D, among others; 37.7%).
Conclusions: This real-world study provides valuable insights into women's perceptions and behaviors regarding the use of dietary supplements from preconception to postpartum.
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