Preconception Health Research Priorities for Adolescents and Young Adults in Australia

BACKGROUND: Guidelines on pre-pregnancy counselling are primarily clinical, and although recommendations and policy documents on preconception care exist in Australia, they place little or no emphasis on the preconception health of adolescents and young adults. OBJECTIVE: To identify and prioritise unanswered questions and evidence uncertainties concerning preconception health needs of adolescents and young adults residing in Australia. DESIGN: Research priority exercise. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants included young interest-holders (18-24 years) and professional interest-holders from the academic, healthcare, policy, community and government sectors residing in Australia. METHODS: James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology was followed to identify research priorities for preconception health of adolescents and young adults. The process was led by a multidisciplinary steering committee comprising young interest-holders and professional interest-holders (including academics and clinicians). A rapid literature review was conducted, from which 80 research questions were developed across 10 domains, which were refined through consultation and prioritised via two rounds of online surveys on Qualtrics using a 9-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The participants included 14 young interest-holders in each survey round, with 22 professional interest-holders in the first round and 30 in the second. Participants from across Australia participated in the survey, but most were from South Australia. In the first survey round, 28 questions across seven domains were prioritised by both professional and young interest-holders. This was followed by a reprioritisation exercise, resulting in the final top 10 research questions spanning five domains. The highest-priority research questions identified by the interest-holders concentrated in the domains of violence and mental health; early intervention and prevention; smoking, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use; access to preconception care and the healthcare system; and priority populations. CONCLUSION: The study identified the top 10 priority research questions informed by professional and young interest-holders. It promotes new research and collaboration while offering guidance on future research investments and on designing preconception interventions for adolescents and young adults in Australia. Turning these priorities into research could improve the health outcomes for adolescents and their future generations.