Patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity and nutrition counseling during pregnancy: a qualitative study

Kara M Whitaker; Sara Wilcox; Jihong Liu; Steven N Blair; Russell R Pate

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.10.007

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Patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity and nutrition counseling during pregnancy: a qualitative study

Journal article

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Patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity and nutrition counseling during pregnancy: a qualitative study

Kara M Whitaker, Sara Wilcox, Jihong Liu, Steven N Blair and Russell R Pate

Women's health issues, Vol.26(1), pp.116-122

2016

DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2015.10.007

PMCID: PMC4690786

PMID: 26621605

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2015.10.007View

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Abstract

Objective: This study investigated patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition counseling during prenatal care visits. Methods: Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 pregnant women between 20 and 30 weeks gestation (15 African American, 15 White) and 11 prenatal care providers (5 attending physicians, 5 residents, 1 nurse practitioner) in 2014. Results: The majority of patients and providers reported receiving or giving advice on weight gain (87% and 100%, respectively), physical activity (87% and 91%), and nutrition (100% and 91%) during a prenatal visit. Discussion of counseling content was largely consistent between patients and providers. However, counseling was limited and not fully consistent with current weight gain, physical activity, or dietary guidelines during pregnancy. Most patients viewed provider advice positively, but some wanted more detailed information. Providers discussed many barriers to lifestyle counseling, including lack of time, inadequate training, concern about the sensitivity of the topic, lower education or income level of the patient, cultural differences, and lack of patient interest. Conclusions: Providers discussed weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition during prenatal care visits and patients accurately recalled this advice. However, counseling was limited and not fully consistent with guidelines. Future studies are needed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of interventions to help providers overcome perceived barriers and more effectively counsel women on weight and healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity and nutrition counseling during pregnancy: a qualitative study
Creators: Kara M Whitaker - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Sara Wilcox - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Jihong Liu - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Steven N Blair - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Russell R Pate - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Women's health issues, Vol.26(1), pp.116-122
DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2015.10.007
PMID: 26621605
PMCID: PMC4690786
NLM abbreviation: Womens Health Issues
ISSN: 1049-3867
eISSN: 1878-4321
Language: English
Date published: 2016
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
Record Identifier: 9984002483602771

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