Co-production of an intervention promoting preconception health and reducing childhood obesity in deprived areas of Scotland

Improving child health and reducing inequalities is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s health priorities. Nearly one third of children in Scotland are classed as overweight or obese. There is growing evidence to suggest that female health and behaviour (e.g. diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption) prior to conception and during pregnancy, can influence child health and obesity risks. Therefore, improving women’s health behaviours prior to pregnancy will help to give every child the best start in life.

The purpose of the project is to systematically develop an evidence- and theory-based intervention to improve health behaviours of women prior to pregnancy. This intervention will target women living in areas of social deprivation in Scotland who have an intention to become pregnant at some point in the future.

This project will take a co-production approach and will be based on the framework for intervention co-production and prototyping (Hawkins et al., 2017). The three stages of the project will involve 1) literature search and exploration of stakeholder views, 2) collaboration with stakeholders and literature to co-produce an intervention 3) piloting of the intervention. This will produce an intervention which improves preconception women’s health behaviours and reduces child obesity and health inequalities.