Different experiences of weight management and physical activity during pregnancy - a qualitative study of women and healthcare professionals in Australia

ABSTRACT

Objective: Pregnancy is often described as a pivotal life stage for women, where regular contact with health professionals may play an important role in lifestyle awareness. This study explored the knowledge, practices, and beliefs of health professionals and pregnant women regarding physical activity and weight management during the antenatal period. Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken in southeastern Australia using individual interviews. Recruitment sought women of gestation >12 weeks, experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 6), and antenatal health professionals including midwives (n = 4) and an obstetrician (n = 1). Data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged: (1) women rely on multiple sources of pregnancy-related healthy lifestyle information; (2) discussions around healthy lifestyle behaviours are low priority and often inconsistent; and (3) lifestyle-related topics perceived as sensitive make some conversations and actions difficult. Conclusions: Pregnant women expressed gaps in lifestyle-related knowledge and education being provided by health professionals. In turn, health professionals expressed difficulty discussing sensitive topics such as weight with pregnant women and had limited knowledge of pregnancy-specific physical activity guidelines. The themes generated by this study may form the foundation for further research to inform clinical policy and practice regarding advice in antenatal care.

KEYWORDS:

• Antenatal Care
• Pregnancy
• Exercise
• Weight management
• Lifestyle
• Health Knowledge
• Attitudes
• Practice

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Dr David Knight (RCOG, RANZCOG) for his assistance with the ethics process.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The project was approved by the relevant Human Research Ethics Committee and adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki for experiments involving humans. All participants in this research provided signed consent.

Author Contribution

CKA, MM, and MYT designed the research study. BC and SC performed the research plus analysed the data. CKA, MM, and MYT also assisted with analysis. BC, SC, MM, and CKA wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grant #2017/19280-4, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

Notes on contributors

Catherine Knight-Agarwal

Catherine Knight-Agarwal is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian, who has worked as a lecturer at the University of Canberra since 2007. She graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science in 1997 and a Master of Applied Science in 1999. Following this, Dr Knight-Agarwal went on to complete a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Sydney in 2001. Since 2001, she worked for over a decade as a clinical dietitian, both in Australia and the UK, in the areas of critical care, mental health, dietetic education, and diabetes management. She completed her PhD in the area of maternal weight management and prevention. She has published her research in a number of peer review journals and presented at both national and international conferences.

Michelle Minehan

Michelle Minehan is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Advanced Sports Dietitian. She currently works as a senior lecturer at the University of Canberra and for many years worked for the Australian Institute of Sport. She completed her PhD in the area of food sustainability. She has published her research in a number of peer-review journals and presented at both national and international conferences.

Bridget Cockburn

Bridget Cockburn is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, who has worked as a clinical dietitian in mental health since 2019. She graduated from the University of Canberra with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2020.

Sophie Cashel

Sophie Cashel is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, who has worked as a dietitian at Food Standards Australia and New Zealand since 2019. She graduated from the University of Canberra with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2020.

Monica Yuri Takito

Monica Yuri Takito is an expert in physical activity during pregnancy. She has published her research in a number of peer review journals and presented at both national and international conferences. She is currently a Professor of Human Movement at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.