A Systematic Review of Women's Experiences of Interventions to Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain

To synthesize research on women's experiences of interventions to prevent excessive gestational weight gain.

A systematic search of the following databases was conducted: CINAHL Complete, Maternity and Infant Care Database, American Psychological Association PsycArticles, American Psychological Association PsycInfo, and MEDLINE.

Studies were included if they involved primary research regarding the experiences of women who were pregnant or up to 1 year postpartum when reflecting on their involvement in interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Nonempirical studies and those that examined the experiences of women who were not pregnant or who were beyond 1 year postpartum were excluded.

Information was extracted and captured in a summary table that included the study aim, participants, study design, intervention, findings, and summary score, with exceptions to quality.

Data were synthesized thematically into three themes: (a) Intervention Qualities Valued by Women, (b) Challenges Faced by Women, and (c) Perceived Benefits and Recommendations for Modifications.

Interventions intended to help women prevent excessive gestational weight gain should be tailored to individuals' unique needs to ensure that the interventions are acceptable and effective.