title: Comparison of midwifery, family medicine, and obstetric patients' understanding of weight gain during pregnancy: a minority of women report correct counselling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that differences in models of care between health care providers would result in variations in patients' reports of counselling. Our objective was to compare what women reported being advised about weight gain during pregnancy and the risks of inappropriate weight gain according to their type of health care provider.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire at obstetric, midwifery, and family medicine clinics in Hamilton, Ontario. Women were eligible to participate if they had had at least one prenatal visit, could read English, and had a live, singleton pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and eight women completed the survey, a 93% response rate. Care for 90% of the group was divided approximately evenly between midwives, family physicians, and obstetricians. A minority of women looked after by any of the types of care providers reported being counselled correctly about how much weight to gain during pregnancy (16.3%, 10.3%, 9.2%, and 5.7% of patients of midwives, family physicians, obstetricians, or other types of care providers, respectively, P = 0.349). A minority of women with any category of care provider was planning to gain an amount of weight that fell within the guidelines or reported being told that there were risks to themselves or their babies with inappropriate gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study comparing reported counselling between patients of obstetricians, midwives, family physicians, and other health care providers, low rates of counselling about gestational weight gain were universally reported. There is a common need for more effective counselling.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ONC; Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Biostatistics Unit, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pullenayegum
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Maternity Centre of Hamilton, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Keyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bracken
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ONC.
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Midwifery Education Program, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Midwifery Education Program, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malott
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ONC.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ONC.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Olha
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lutsiv
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Valerie H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Maternity Centre of Hamilton, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Good
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton ONC; Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics McMaster University, Hamilton ON; Midwifery Education Program, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hutton
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton ON.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sword
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D008880:Midwifery; D009774:Obstetrics; D009864:Ontario; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain