Abstract
Objective To evaluate the influence of health-related behaviors including food intake, physical activity, sleep time, smoking habits, stress, depression, and optimism on excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) among women with overweight and obesity.
Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Women's Hospital of the Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, with 386 mediate postpartum women that fit the inclusion criteria of ≥ 19 years old, first prenatal care visit at or before 14 weeks, and single live baby. Dietary habits, physical exercise practice, sleep duration, smoking and alcohol habits were self-reported. Psychosocial history was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R). Sociodemographic, obstetric, anthropometric, and neonatal data were retrieved from medical records. Descriptive statistics and stepwise logistic regression were performed.
Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29.27% and 24.61%, respectively, according to the body mass index (BMI). Excessive GWG was observed in 47.79% of women with overweight and in 45.26% of women with obesity. Excessive GWG among overweight and obese women was associated with inadequate vegetable and bean consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 2.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–6.46 and OR = 1.91; 95%CI: 1.01–3.63, respectively) and stress (OR = 1.63; 95%CI 1.01–2.64). After adjustment by maternal age, multiparity, sleep duration, smoking, and alcohol intake, we found that stress (PSS ≥ 20) was associated with excessive GWG in women with overweight or obesity (OR: 1.75; 95%CI: 1.03–2.96).
Conclusion Among women with overweight and obesity, stress is the main variable associated with excessive GWG. Inadequate vegetables and beans consumption also showed association with excessive GWG.
The Role of Health-related Behaviors in Gestational Weight Gain among Women with Overweight and Obesity: A Cross-sectional Analysis
