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Weight Bias in the Perinatal Period: An Integrative Review

Heather M Bradford1, Rebecca M Puhl2, Julia C Phillippi3

  • 1Georgetown University School of Nursing, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)
|September 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Weight bias in perinatal care is prevalent and negatively impacts pregnant and postpartum individuals. Addressing this bias is crucial for improving maternal and mental health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Health
  • Health Psychology
  • Medical Sociology

Background:

  • Weight bias in healthcare settings negatively affects health behaviors, healthcare access, and outcomes.
  • This bias is particularly concerning in the perinatal period for individuals with higher body weights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing literature on weight bias among perinatal care providers and students.
  • To explore pregnant, birthing, and postpartum individuals' experiences with weight bias.
  • To examine the association between weight bias experiences and perinatal/mental health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search across CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases.
  • Utilized PRISMA, Johns Hopkins EBP model, and Whittemore and Knafl framework.
  • Included 22 publications from six countries with diverse study designs.

Main Results:

  • Pervasive sources of explicit weight bias were identified in the perinatal period, including from care providers.
  • Experiences of weight bias are linked to adverse perinatal and mental health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals.

Conclusions:

  • This review highlights a significant knowledge gap concerning weight bias in perinatal care.
  • Weight bias negatively influences perinatal and mental health outcomes.
  • Future research should investigate demographic factors in provider bias and its clinical impact.
Abstract

Keywords:
birthobesitypostpartumpregnancyweight biasweight discriminationweight prejudiceweight stigma

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