A systematic review of women’s experiences of interventions to prevent excessive gestational weight gain

Objective: To synthesise research on women’s experiences of interventions to prevent excessive gestational weight gain. This will help to inform the development of acceptable and effective interventions. Data Sources: A systematic search of the following databases was conducted: CINAHL Complete, Maternity & Infant Care Database, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo and MEDLINE. Study Selection: Studies were included if they involved primary research regarding the experiences of women who are pregnant or up to 1-year post-partum when reflecting on their involvement in interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Non-empirical studies and those that considered the experiences of women who are not pregnant or over 1-year post-partum were excluded. Data Extraction: Information was extracted and captured in a summary table that included the study aim, participants, study design, intervention, findings and summary score, with exceptions to quality. Data Synthesis: Data were synthesised thematically into three themes: i) intervention qualities valued by women, ii) challenges faced by women and iii) perceived benefits and recommendations for modifications. Conclusion: Interventions should be tailored to individual need in order to ensure that they are both acceptable and effective