Research: Current ResearchStages of change for weight management in postpartum women☆
Section snippets
Subjects
The sample (N=151) was recruited from WIC participants in four northern West Virginia clinics to participate in the Mothers’ Overweight Management Study (MOMS). The purpose of MOMS was to determine the effectiveness of the facilitated group discussion method (22) for weight management. To be eligible, a woman had to be 18 years of age or older, a WIC recipient, a mother with a child younger than 2 years, and able to converse in English. Of the 423 women with initial contact, 368 were screened,
Sample characteristics
The sample consisted of 151 women age 18 to 41 years (mean=27±5.4 years). Reflective of the state’s population, the women were predominantly white (91%) with a high school level of education (64%). Because the women were WIC recipients, all lived in low-income households. Sixty-five percent were homemakers. The mean weeks postpartum reported was 30 weeks±23.59 (range 1 to 107 weeks); 34% were breastfeeding. Most (67%) were nonsmokers.
The mean BMI was 30.2±6.9 with 24% classified as normal, 28%
Discussion
This study examined the cross-sectional relationship between demographic, health, and psychosocial characteristics and stages of change for weight-management behaviors in postpartum women who enrolled in a weight-management trial. Previous findings have shown that predictors of weight gain over a 3-year period included fat intake (positive) and frequency of physical activity (negative) (23). We queried women on their stages of change for losing weight, avoiding high-fat foods, increasing fiber
Conclusion
By emphasizing the pros and decreasing the cons for weight management, women may be able to change their behaviors to promote better weight management. Strategies highlighted in our study were increasing the women’s confidence in their ability to select low-fat restaurant choices, discussing the importance of reading food labels, and discussing the pros/cons for weight management. By using these strategies, nutrition professionals may be able to facilitate clients’ movements into the action
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the following individuals, who made this study possible: all the participants and staff at WIC offices; WIC nutritionists: Anne MacBride, Brenda Fisher, Roberta Dorazio, Darla Retton, Gina Coleman, Sue Evenson; graduate students: Jenni Jones, Airi Naoi, Cindie Mick, Thein Shwe, Michael Subit; and office staff: Jennifer Farmer and Carol Morris. The authors also thank Linda Lilly, MA, for editorial assistance.
D. A. Krummel is an associate professor, E. Semmens is a research dietitian, and J. Boury is a research assistant, Department of Community Medicine, and P. Gordon is an associate professor, Department of Human Performance and Exercise Science, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.
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2010, Journal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorCitation Excerpt :Low-income women's high rates of overweight and weight gain have been strongly associated with poor diet and physical inactivity,7-9 which may both be exacerbated by stress.10 During periods of high stress in their daily lives, these mothers experienced the most difficulty in following nutrition and physical activity recommendations.10-13 To cope with stress, some women engage in emotional eating and increase their intake of energy-dense food, for example, candy and potato chips.10,14,15
Lessons Learned from the Mothers' Overweight Management Study in 4 West Virginia WIC Offices
2010, Journal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorCitation Excerpt :Methods that increase self-efficacy are very desirable, since self-efficacy is predictive of both nutrition and physical activity behaviors.13-15 Intervention content was topic driven (nutrition, physical activity, psychology) and theory driven (problem solving, stimulus control, managing high-risk situations, skill building, reinforcement, self-monitoring, developing social support, identifying pros/cons, and self-efficacy).16 The MOMS team (nutritionists, exercise physiologists, psychologist, and health educator) used formative data from the focus groups, integral weight-management components (dietary intake, physical activity, stress management), and professional weight-management experience to develop the facilitated group discussion guides.
D. A. Krummel is an associate professor, E. Semmens is a research dietitian, and J. Boury is a research assistant, Department of Community Medicine, and P. Gordon is an associate professor, Department of Human Performance and Exercise Science, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.
K. T. Larkin is a professor, Psychology Department, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown.
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The project was supported by a grant awarded to Dr. Krumme from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (RO1 HD39102).