Socioeconomic differences in weight retention, weight-related attitudes and practices in postpartum women

To determine if there is a socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in postpartum weight retention in women living in the UK, and examine SES differences in weight-related attitudes and practices in the postpartum period.

Women (n = 2745) who had full-term live births between July and December 1999 in four London hospitals were eligible to participate in this self-report postal questionnaire study. The questionnaire included items on socio-demographic characteristics, pre-pregnancy weight, postpartum height and weight, pregnancy weight gain and duration, and postpartum weight-related attitudes (body image and weight beliefs) and practices (weight control and weight monitoring). Education was used as the indicator of SES.

Questionnaires were returned by 954 women (35%) on average eight months postpartum. Median postpartum weight retention was 2.7 kg and was significantly higher in the medium and lower SES women (3.2 kg) than higher SES women (1.8 kg) despite no difference in pregnancy weight gain. A greater proportion of higher SES women believed they would return to their pre-pregnant weight, and they engaged in more frequent weight monitoring. There were no SES differences in body dissatisfaction or the proportion of women trying to lose weight postpartum.

In the postpartum period, women of higher SES retained less weight than women of lower SES. There were also differences in weight-related attitudes and frequency of weight monitoring across SES groups.