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Racial-Ethnic Differences in Pregnancy-Related Weight
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Racial-Ethnic Differences in Pregnancy-Related Weight

Irene E. Headen, Esa M. Davis, Mahasin S. Mujahid and Barbara Abrams
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), v 3(1), pp 83-94
01 Jan 2012
PMID: 22332106
url
https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-pdf/3/1/83/23735320/83.pdfView
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open
url
https://doi.org/10.3945/an.111.000984View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Nutrition & Dietetics Science & Technology
This review examines published literature to answer 2 questions: 1) Are there racial-ethnic differences in excessive or inadequate gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight retention (PPWR)? and 2) Is there evidence that approaches to promote healthy weight during and after pregnancy should vary by race-ethnicity? We identified a limited number of articles that explicitly looked at racial-ethnic differences in either GWG or PPWR after controlling for relevant covariates. These studies suggest that black and Hispanic women are more likely to gain inadequately based on the Institute of Medicine's pregnancy weight gain guidelines compared to white women. Black women are more likely to retain considerable amounts of weight postpartum compared to both Hispanic and white mothers. Studies were inconclusive as to whether Hispanic women retained more or less weight postpartum, so more research is needed. Interventions to increase GWG were few and those designed to reduce GWG and PPWR showed mixed results. Future studies should address the methodological and conceptual limitations of prior research as well as investigate biological mechanisms and behavioral risk factors to determine the reasons for the racial-ethnic differences in pregnancy-related weight outcomes. Interventions would benefit from a mixed-methods approach that specifically identifies race-relevant barriers to weight management during and after pregnancy. Attention to the greater social context in which pregnancy-related weight exists is also needed. Adv. Nutr. 3: 83-94, 2012.

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97 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#5 Gender Equality

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Nutrition & Dietetics
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