Correlates of pregnant women's gestational weight gain knowledge

Objective to investigate correlates of pregnant women's gestational weight gain (GWG) knowledge commensurate with GWG guidelines. Design cross sectional quantitative study. Setting an Australian tertiary level maternity hospital. Participants pregnant women (n=1032) following their first antenatal visit. Measurements survey to assess GWG knowledge and a range of potential correlates of knowledge including socio-economic characteristics, pregnancy characteristics (parity, gestation, pre-pregnancy BMI) and GWG information procurement and GWG attitudinal variables. Findings participants (n=366; 35.4% response) averaged 32.5 years of age with 33% speaking a language other than English. One third of women reported GWG knowledge consistent with guidelines. Women overweight prior to pregnancy were less likely to underestimate appropriate GWG (RRR 0.23, 95% CI=0.09–0.59). Conversely, women in the overweight (RRR 8.80, 95% CI=4.02–19.25) and obese (RRR 19.62, 95% CI=8.03–48.00) categories were more likely to overestimate GWG recommendations, while tertiary educated women were less likely to overestimate GWG (RRR 0.28, 95% CI=0.10–0.79). No associations were found between GWG knowledge and pregnancy, GWG information source or attitudinal variables. Conclusions and implications for practice the findings highlight women's lack of GWG knowledge and the role of pre-pregnancy body mass index and women's education as correlates of GWG knowledge. Women susceptible to poor GWG knowledge should be a priority target for individual and community-based education