More equitable preconception health: paternal lifecourse opportunities for better pregnancy, child, and family outcomes

Men and partners are important contributors to the health of future generations, yet their own preconception health and well-being remain secondary considerations in research, practice, and policy. Siloed research has exacerbated this. Clinical research typically focuses narrowly on proximal behavioural factors related to peri-conceptional events (e.g. paternal dietary influences on sperm epigenome), with social research focusing largely on post-natal parenting. Here, we update and re-appraise the evidence for men’s role in preconception health through a transdisciplinary review. Across biological and behavioural research, young men’s early lifecourse experiences have been shown to shape their own and their partner’s preconception physical, emotional, and behavioral health. Moreover, putting a focus on men’s preconception health offers a corrective for legacies of sexism, which place responsibility for intergenerational health solely on the birthing parent, and of racism and colonialism, which have disproportionately disrupted the familial and societal roles of Black and brown men. We provide three case studies illustrating these ethical concerns and conclude that greater attention to young men would lead to more equitable and holistic preconception health interventions and policy.