Pregnant women's knowledge of the implications of overweight and obesity during pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: overweight and obesity are currently of great importance, with numerous implications for maternal-fetal health during pregnancy. Objective: to determine the level of knowledge about the implications of overweight and obesity in pregnancy. Methods: observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study, carried out in a sample of 189 pregnant women, belonging to the Modesto Gómez Rubio Teaching Polyclinic, San Juan y Martínez, between 2020 and 2022. The documentary review of clinical histories and the application of a questionnaire allowed obtaining information that gave an output to the variables studied, respecting medical ethics. Results: pregnant women aged ≥ 40 years (25,9 %) predominated, 56,1 % of them had white skin color, 48.1 % had pre-university school level, and 39,7 % were overweight at the time of enrollment. Arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus (5,3 and 4,2 % respectively) were the main personal pathological antecedents. The orientations of the health personnel (88,4 %) were the main source of information on the implications of overweight and obesity during pregnancy, 72 % of the pregnant women having sufficient knowledge about them. Conclusions: the demographic profile of the pregnant women was described, showing a predominance of those who were overweight at the time of the interview, and the main personal pathological antecedents were also identified. Among the sources of information on the implications of overweight and obesity for pregnancy, orientation by health personnel was the main one, with a predominance of pregnant women with a sufficient level of knowledge.