Effects of maternal obesity on antepartum symptoms and self-care agency: A case-control study

Maternal obesity is an important in terms of posing a risk to the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Study aim to determine the effects of maternal obesity on antepartum symptoms and self-care agency. This study was conducted between August-October, 2014 as a case-control study with pregnant women, 64 recruited into an obese group and 64 into a control group. The study was conducted in a state hospital in Aydın, Turkey. Data were collected with a questionaire, the Antepartum Symptoms Checklist and the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale, and analyzed with the Chi-square and Student's t tests. The group of obese women had a preconception/pregestational Body Mass Index of ≥30.0 kg/m2 and the women of normal weight had a preconception/pregestational Body Mass Index of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2. The women in the obese group were of the ages 27.38±4.54. Fifty percent of this group consisted of elementary school graduates, 48.4% suffered from the symptom of awakening unrested (p=0.042) and 78.1% had edema (fluid accumulation, swelling) (p=0.050). The total score of the obese group of women on the Antepartum Symptoms Checklist was 14.71±5.97 (p=0.504) and 110.15±15.19 (p=0.130) on the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale. Maternal obesity does not generally affect antepartum symptoms and the exercise of self-care agency, but does affect certain antepartum symptoms such as awakening unrested and edema.