Excessive gestational weight gain: Assessing patients' and providers' perceptions

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Gestational weight gain (GWG) is critical for maternal and infant health.
• Counseling on healthy lifestyles during pregnancy is often inadequate.
• Diverse patient populations present unique challenges in antenatal care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate gestational weight gain (GWG) counseling practices by primary care providers (PCPs).
• To identify barriers to effective GWG counseling in diverse cultural groups.
• To explore potential health interventions for improving antenatal care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semistructured interviews and focus groups.
• Participants included obstetric providers and pregnant patients from two diverse clinics.
• Data analysis employed a modified grounded theory and constant comparative approach.

Main Results:

• Patients reported limited understanding of excessive GWG risks and infrequent counseling.
• Health literacy and cultural factors influenced patient engagement with PCPs.
• Barriers included social isolation, limited funds, time constraints, and patient retention issues.
• Both patients and physicians desired enhanced, proactive health counseling and resources.

Conclusions:

• Healthy lifestyle in pregnancy is underemphasized due to patient and physician barriers.
• Addressing socioeconomic factors and social determinants of health is vital.
• Developing patient-centered interventions and improving provider education are key opportunities.