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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Nicola HeslehurstORCiD, Dr Emer Cullen, Professor Judith Rankin, Emerita Professor Elaine McCollORCiD, Professor Falko Sniehotta, Cath McParlin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2023 by the authors. Preconception obesity is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and deprivation. The postnatal period provides an opportunity for preconception intervention. There is a lack of published postnatal behaviour and weight data to inform intervention needs. Secondary analysis of the GLOWING study explored postnatal diet, physical activity (PA) and weight among women living with obesity in deprivation. Thirty-nine women completed food frequency and PA questionnaires and provided weight measurement(s) between 3–12 months postnatal. Women’s diet and PA fell short of national guidelines, especially for fruit/vegetables (median 1.6–2.0 portions/day) and oily fish (0–4 g/day). PA was predominantly light intensity. Patterns in weight change across time points indicated postnatal weight loss compared with 1st (median −0.8 to −2.3 kg) and 3rd-trimester weights (−9.0 to −11.6 kg). Weight loss was higher among women without excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) (−2.7 to −9.7 kg) than those with excessive GWG (2.3 to −1.8 kg), resulting in postnatal weight measurements lower than their 1st trimester. These pilot data suggest preconception interventions should commence in pregnancy with a focus on GWG, and postnatal women need early support to achieve guideline-recommendations for diet and PA. Further research in a larger population could inform preconception intervention strategies to tackle inequalities in maternal obesity and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.
Author(s): Heslehurst N, Cullen E, Flynn AC, Briggs C, Smart L, Rankin J, McColl E, Sniehotta FF, McParlin C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Nutrients
Year: 2023
Volume: 15
Issue: 17
Online publication date: 30/08/2023
Acceptance date: 29/08/2023
Date deposited: 18/09/2023
ISSN (electronic): 2072-6643
Publisher: MDPI
URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173805
DOI: 10.3390/nu15173805
PubMed id: 37686838
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