• Jihong Liu, Kara M Whitaker, Stella M Yu, Shin M Chao, and Michael C Lu.
• Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; Office of Research and Epidemiology, Maternal & Child Health Bureau, Health Resources & Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland. Electronic address: jliu@mailbox.sc.edu.
• Womens Health Issues. 2016 May 1; 26 (3): 321-8.

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine whether women's report of gestational weight gain (GWG) advice from a health care provider is consistent with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines and the association between provider advice and women's weight gain during pregnancy.MethodsData came from the 2007 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby study (n = 3,402). The 1990 IOM GWG guidelines were used to define whether the provider's advice on weight gain and women's weight gain were below, within, or above the guidelines.ResultsApproximately 4 months after delivery, 18.8% of the women reported having not discussed weight gain with any health care providers during pregnancy. Among those who reported such discussions, 42% reported receiving weight gain advice from a health care provider within IOM guidelines, 16.5% below guidelines, and 10% above. An additional 13.5% reported the discussion but did not report the recommended weight gain amount. Compared with women who reported provider advice on weight gain within guidelines, women who reported advice below guidelines were 1.7 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-2.2) more likely to gain less than the IOM recommended amount. Women who reported provider advice above IOM guidelines were 2.0 times (95% CI, 1.4-2.9) more likely to exceed guidelines.ConclusionsThere is a need for more women to receive advice consistent with the IOM GWG guidelines from their prenatal care providers. Intervention strategies are needed to educate providers about IOM guidelines and how to counsel on GWG.Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. All rights reserved.

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