How can maternity services be developed to effectively address maternal obesity? A qualitative study.
OBJECTIVE
to identify developments in maternal obesity services and health-care practitioners' views on how maternity services need to be further developed to be more effective in the care of obese pregnant women.


METHODS
follow-up qualitative study using purposive sampling, interviews and focus groups.


METHODS
10 maternity units in the North East Government Office Region of England, UK.


METHODS
30 maternity unit health-care practitioners with personal experience of maternal obesity services.


RESULTS
semi-structured interviews and focus groups were carried out with health-care practitioners representing each National Health Service trust in the region that provides maternity services to identify views on the barriers, facilitators, advantages and disadvantages of developing maternal obesity services, and how maternity services can be more effective in managing maternal obesity. Transcripts were analysed using thematic content analysis. Three dominant themes emerged: questioning maternal obesity service development; psychosocial issues and maternal obesity service development; and the way forward.


CONCLUSIONS
there has been a substantial improvement in the management of the health and safety aspects of maternal obesity over the last three years. However, more work is needed around the psychosocial issues, weight management and public health aspects of maternal obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
to meet the needs of obese pregnant women, maternity services should consider the transition of care between pregnancy and the postnatal period, improve communication between hospital and public health services, and develop services that will engage pregnant women to address their obesity.
Heslehurst
Nicola
N
Health and Social Care Research Institute, School of Health and Social Care, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, Teesside TS1 3BA, UK. n.heslehurst@tees.ac.uk
Moore
Helen
H
Rankin
Judith
J
Ells
Louisa J
LJ
Wilkinson
John R
JR
Summberbell
Carolyn D
CD
D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013222:State Medicine; D055815:Young Adult