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A Qualitative Study of Factors Affecting Pregnancy Weight Gain in African American Women

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Abstract

African Americans and overweight or obese women are at increased risk for excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight retention. Interventions are needed to promote healthy GWG in this population; however, research on exercise and nutritional barriers during pregnancy in African American women is limited. The objective of this qualitative study is to better inform intervention messages by eliciting information on perceptions of appropriate weight gain, barriers to and enablers of exercise and healthy eating, and other influences on healthy weight gain during pregnancy in overweight or obese African American women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 33 overweight or obese African American women in Columbia, South Carolina. Women were recruited in early to mid-pregnancy (8–23 weeks gestation, n = 10), mid to late pregnancy (24–36 weeks, n = 15), and early postpartum (6–12 weeks postpartum, n = 8). Interview questions and data analysis were informed using a social ecological framework. Over 50 % of women thought they should gain weight in excess of the range recommended by the Institute of Medicine. Participants were motivated to exercise for personal health benefits; however they also cited many barriers to exercise, including safety concerns for the fetus. Awareness of the maternal and fetal benefits of healthy eating was high. Commonly cited barriers to healthy eating include cravings and availability of unhealthy foods. The majority of women were motivated to engage in healthy behaviors during pregnancy. However, the interviews also uncovered a number of misconceptions and barriers that can serve as future intervention messages and strategies.

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Acknowledgments

The project described was supported by Award Number R21HD061885 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development or the National Institutes of Health. We are grateful to the women who took time out of their busy lives to take part in our interviews. We also thank the HIPP staff and the staff at the participating clinics for their assistance with participant recruitment and other study logistics. The study was supported by award number R21HD061885 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The research was conducted in accord with prevailing ethical principles.

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  1. University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 318, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Kara Goodrich, Mary Cregger, Sara Wilcox & Jihong Liu

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  1. Kara Goodrich
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Goodrich, K., Cregger, M., Wilcox, S. et al. A Qualitative Study of Factors Affecting Pregnancy Weight Gain in African American Women. Matern Child Health J 17, 432–440 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1011-1

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