Postnatal Care Practice and the Facilitating Factors Among Japanese Primary Care Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study

Postnatal care encompasses multiple health and social domains requiring a comprehensive approach. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are well-positioned to provide postnatal care, but research on their practice remains limited. This study aimed to investigate PCPs' practice frequency and attitudes toward postnatal care, and to examine PCP attributes associated with postnatal care provision.

We conducted a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire targeting certified PCPs via the Japan Primary Care Association. The questionnaire assessed frequency, perceived importance, and educational experience across 13 postnatal care domains. Practice frequency and perceived importance were examined descriptively on a five-point Likert scale, and the association between PCP attributes and postnatal care provision was analyzed by logistic regression.

We analyzed 259 responses (response rate: 17.4%). Practice frequency was highest for follow-up of non-pregnancy-related chronic conditions (79%) and maternal health care maintenance (71%), and lowest for intimate partner violence (25%) and postpartum gynecological examination (20%). Mean perceived importance scores exceeded mean practice frequency scores across all postnatal care domains. Intimate partner violence showed the largest practice-attitude discrepancy. Having received education in one domain was positively associated with practice in that domain. Other factors related to practice included female gender, immunization of infants, physicians' experience with raising children or postnatal health problems, and practicing in a rural area.

There were variations in practice frequency and discrepancies between practice frequency and attitudes across postnatal care domains among Japanese PCPs. Addressing medical education as a modifiable factor may help reduce these gaps.