Exploring men’s pregnancy-planning behaviour and fertility knowledge:a survey among fathers in Sweden

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow chart of the study procedure.

Table 1. Assessment template to evaluate fertility knowledge.

Question	Underestimated	Correct	Overestimated
1. How long is the ovum viable for fertilization?	<0.5 day	0.5–1 day	>1 day
2. How long does sperm usually survive in the uterus/fallopian tubes?	<2 days	2–3 days	>3 days
3. What is the probability that a 25-year-old woman becomes pregnant if she has unprotected intercourse with a young man at ovulation?	<20%	20%–30%	>30%
4. At what age begins a marked decline in a woman’s ability to conceive?	<33 years	33–37 years	>37 years
5. What are the chances of having a child through IVF, for each attempt?	<20%	20%–30%	>30%

Table 2. Background characteristics of participants.

Characteristics	Frequency, n (%)	Mean ± SD
Age (years)	n = 790	34.3 ± 5.6
Occupation, full or part time^a	n = 796
Permanent job	557 (70.1)
Self-employed	51 (6.4)
Temporary position	29 (3.6)
On parental leave/house dad	207 (26.1)
Studying	18 (2.3)
On sick leave/pension	7 (0.9)
Unemployed	7 (0.9)
Education (highest completed)	n = 794
None	3 (0.4)
Elementary school	31 (3.9)
High school	322 (40.6)
Vocational training	90 (11.3)
University <3 years	39 (4.9)
University 3–5 years	285 (35.9)
PhD degree	24 (3.0)
Country of birth	n = 791
Sweden	731 (92.4)
Other Nordic country	11 (1.4)
Other European (non-Nordic)	22 (2.8)
Outside Europe	26 (3.3)
Don’t know	1 (0.1)
Civil status	n = 792
Married	319 (40.3)
Cohabiting	462 (57.9)
Not living together	11 (1.4)
Estimated health status	n = 781
Very/fairly good	519 (66.4)
Neither good nor poor	195 (25.0)
Very/fairly poor	67 (8.6)
BMI	n = 787
<18.5 (underweight)	7 (0.9)
18.5–24.9 (normal weight)	346 (44.0)
25.0–29.9 (overweight)	342 (43.4)
>30 (obese)	92 (11.7)
Smoking	n = 787
Yes, daily	24 (3.0)
Yes, but not daily	33 (4.3)
Quit in connection to pregnancy	20 (2.5)
Quit earlier in life	170 (21.7)
Have never smoked	539 (68.5)
Snuff (smokeless tobacco) use	n = 788
Yes, daily	210 (26.6)
Yes, but not daily	18 (2.3)
Quit in connection to pregnancy	22 (2.8)
Quit earlier in life	130 (16.5)
Have never used snuff	408 (51.8)
Parenting experience	n = 792
First-time father	385 (48.6)
Previous children	407 (51.4)

^a Several options could be chosen.

Table 3. Pregnancy-planning and preconception lifestyle adjustments in regard to the child born one year ago.

	Fathers, n (%)
How planned was the pregnancy?	n = 793
Very/fairly planned	646 (81.4)
Neither planned nor unplanned	79 (10.0)
Very/fairly unplanned	68 (8.6)
It is mostly advantageous to plan for a pregnancy	n = 785
Totally agree	332 (42.3)
Partly agree	269 (34.3)
No opinion	158 (20.2)
Partly disagree	22 (2.8)
Totally disagree	4 (0.5)
Mode of conception	n = 783
Spontaneous	738 (94.3)
Fertility treatment	45 (5.7)
Contraceptive use at the time of conception	n = 789
No	756 (95.8)
Yes, sometimes	21 (2.7)
Yes, but failed with usage	2 (0.3)
Yes, always	10 (1.3)
Right time to become parent?	n = 790
Yes	678 (85.8)
Not really, but it was OK	104 (13.2)
No	8 (1.0)
Preconception lifestyle adjustments^a	n = 767
None	639 (83.3)
Reduced/quit smoking	26 (3.4)
Reduced/quit snuffing	27 (3.5)
Reduced/quit drinking alcohol	57 (7.4)
Reduced/quit drinking coffee	5 (0.7)
Exercised more	37 (4.8)
Exercised less	2 (0.3)
Adjusted medication	1 (0.1)
Ate healthier food	20 (2.6)
Sought medical/health advice	10 (1.3)
Other	6 (0.8)

^a Several options could be chosen.

Figure 2. Percentages of underestimated, correct, and overestimated answers.

Table 4. Fathers’ fertility knowledge. Median and interquartile range (IQR, 25th–75th percentile). Answers from five questions on fertility.

	Correct answer	Median (IQR)
1. How long is the ovum viable for fertilization?	0.5–1 day	3 days (2–5)
2. How long does sperm usually survive in the uterus/fallopian tubes?	2–3 days	2 days (2–4)
3. What is the probability that a 25-year-old woman becomes pregnant if she has unprotected intercourse with a young man at ovulation?	20%–30%	50% (30%–75%)
4. At what age begins a marked decline in a woman’s ability to conceive?	33–37 years	35 years (30–40)
5. What are the chances of having a child through IVF, for each attempt?	20%–30%	30% (20%–50%)