Exploring Beliefs, Concerns, Prenatal Care Advice, and Sources of Information About Gestational Weight Gain Among Immigrant Central American Pregnant Women in the United States

Virginia A. Moreno, Doris Lucero, Nachalie Rodriguez-Cruz, Qun Le, Mary L. Greaney and Ana Cristina Lindsay ()
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Virginia A. Moreno: Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, Robert J and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Doris Lucero: Department of Biology, College of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Nachalie Rodriguez-Cruz: Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, Robert J and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Qun Le: Department of Public Health, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Mary L. Greaney: Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
Ana Cristina Lindsay: Department of Urban Public Health, Robert J and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Gestational weight gain (GWG) is critical for maternal and neonatal health, but excessive GWG can lead to complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, and increased obesity risk later in life. Minoritized and immigrant women often face higher risks of excessive GWG. This cross-sectional study assessed Central American women’s beliefs and concerns about GWG, the receipt of advice from healthcare providers, and sources of information for healthy weight management during pregnancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 93 pregnant women from El Salvador (31.2%), Guatemala (46.2%), and Honduras (22.6%). Most participants were married (91.4%), and 91.2% had household incomes below $40,000. Self-reported pre-pregnancy weight status varied significantly ( p = 0.03), with more Guatemalans self-reporting as overweight (34.9%) compared to Salvadorans (10.3%) and Hondurans (19.1%). Beliefs about GWG varied significantly; 72.1% of Guatemalan women accepted “eating for two”, while only 31.0% of Salvadorans did ( p = 0.002). More Honduran women (90.5%) received weight gain recommendations from healthcare providers than Salvadorans (62.1%) and Guatemalans (60.5%) ( p = 0.04). The Internet and family were common information sources on weight management, highlighting the need for culturally tailored health education. This study underscores critical differences in beliefs and access to prenatal care among pregnant Central American immigrant women, emphasizing the importance of culturally competent health education to support healthy pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: pregnancy; gestational weight gain; beliefs; information; Central American; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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