Perspectives on the importance of parents’ health, health-promoting behaviour, and psychosocial and lifestyle factors during pregnancy on child health outcomes across the life course: A cross-sectional study among parents and professionals

Background: Adverse circumstances during pregnancy are associated with impaired health for children not only during pregnancy and childhood, but also in adulthood. This study evaluates the perspectives of parents and professionals regarding the importance of parents’ health, parents’ health-promoting behaviour, and psychosocial and lifestyle factors of parents during pregnancy on a child’s long-term health outcomes.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among parents with a child up to two years (n = 1854) and professionals (n = 322) in a large city in the Netherlands.

Results: Most parents and professionals agree that maternal health during pregnancy is important for a child’s health during pregnancy (98%, 99%, respectively), childhood (94%, 97%, respectively), and adulthood (84%, 89%, respectively). Additionally, almost all parents and professionals agree that maternal health-promoting behaviour during preconception (90%, 96%, respectively), pregnancy (97%, 98%, respectively), and childhood (97%, 99%, respectively) is important for a child’s health.

Conclusion: Most parents and professionals recognize the importance of parents’ health and well-being, parents’ health-promoting behaviour and psychosocial and lifestyle factors of parents during pregnancy for a child’s health throughout the life course. To optimize public health, there is a need for effective knowledge translation to bridge between recognition and health-promoting behaviour.