Where Do Women Get Advice About Weight, Eating, and Physical Activity During Pregnancy?

BACKGROUND: Most women report not receiving information about gestational weight gain (GWG) from prenatal providers, but less is known about other sources of information and their potential impacts on GWG. The purpose of this study was to investigate sources of information about diet, physical activity, and weight control during pregnancy, and the impact of information sources on maternal GWG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were 183 women with normal weight and 172 women with overweight/obesity who had enrolled in a prenatal lifestyle intervention trial. At 6 weeks postpartum, women were asked whether they had received information about "diet, physical activity, or weight control" from 12 sources uninvolved in the trial (e.g., physician, Internet, and friend) and, if received, the extent to which they followed the advice. Information sources were examined in relation to odds of exceeding Institute of Medicine (IOM) GWG guidelines based on measured weights.

RESULTS: Most women reported receiving information from a book (60.6%) or the Internet (58.3%). Advice from physicians, dietitians, or nurses was reported in 55.6%, 48.2%, and 33.9% of women, respectively. Reported receipt of information from physicians was associated with reduced Odds Ratio ([95% Confidence Interval] = 0.55 [0.35-0.88]; p = 0.01) of exceeding IOM GWG guidelines. Reported receipt of information from other sources was not related to GWG.

CONCLUSIONS: Books and the Internet were the most prevalent information sources reported for prenatal diet, physical activity, and weight control. However, of all sources, only physician provision of information was associated with reduced odds of excessive GWG.