Abstract:
Background: Gestational weight gain is rise in weight of pregnant women from conception to delivery. During pregnancy abnormal weight gain (excess or inadequate) is associated with many adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, either at short or long term. Women with no goal weight to reach at the end of their pregnancy will most likely gain outside the recommended amount of weight, either inadequate or excessive.
Objective: To explore women’s goal setting behaviour around gestational weight gain in selected health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: Institution based qualitative study was carried out to explore women’s behaviour around gestational weight gain and factors influencing gestational weight gain goal setting among pregnant women at selected government and private health centers in Addis Ababa. Data were collected for one month from September to October, 2020. Participants were recruited as they come for their regular antenatal checkups. The sampling method was purposive sampling. The sample size was 15 participants. Data were collected from the study subjects using semi-structured interview guide in Amharic. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the data. All the data were exported into open code software to facilitate coding and analysis.
Results: Almost all the study participants did not set weight gain goal during pregnancy. Factors that influence women’s behaviour around weight gain goal setting includes knowledge gap, less priority given to gestational weight gain and goal setting, inadequacy of support on weight gain goal, lack of guidance by the health professionals and lack of information and resources on weight gain goal.
Conclusion & recommendation: Women in the current study didn’t have knowledge around weight gain goal setting. There should be awareness creation and education by the health care providers on weight gain and goal setting for the women during their pregnancy.
.....................................Thesis available at ACIPH Library