title: Attitudes toward pregnancy related changes and self-judged dieting behavior.
abstract: Adequate weight gain in pregnancy is essential for the health of the mother and developing fetus. However, a woman's self-beliefs regarding body shape and weight gain may become a driving force toward unnecessary dietary restriction during pregnancy. In order to assess the current status of self-beliefs, attitudes toward pregnancy related changes, and dieting behavior in pregnant women, a questionnaire survey was conducted at a prenatal clinic in Tokyo. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 500 women and 248 women responded with eligible data. Nearly all respondents (91.5%) stated that they knew their own weight gain targets. Thirty-four women (13.7%) reported dieting before being pregnant, and 88 women (35.5%) reported current dieting. Seventy-eight of the current dieters were doing so based on self-judgment, and only fifteen were following a dietician's advice. The majority of the respondents (69.0%) believed that smaller babies would help a smooth delivery. From multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for current self-judged dieting was significant in women who had dieted before pregnancy (OR: 4.67, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.10-10.4), and those who desired smaller babies for a smooth delivery (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.35-5.52). Obstetricians, midwives, and dieticians should be aware of previous dieting history and self-beliefs in pregnant women, in order to give professional advice about the importance of adequate weight gains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako-Shi, Saitama 3510197, Japan. thidemi@niph.go.jp
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.forename: Chisako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitsuishi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014041:Tokyo; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult