TY - JOUR
T1 - Trajectory of weight changes in the first 6 weeks postpartum
AU - Walker, Lorraine O.
AU - Sterling, Bobbie Sue
AU - Kim, Minseong
AU - Arheart, Kristopher L.
AU - Timmerman, Gayle M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported in part by Grant RO1 NR04679 from the National Institute of Nursing Research.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - Objective: To determine the trajectory of postpartum weight changes and to examine associations between weight change in the first 6 weeks postpartum and demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral variables. Design: Prospective, longitudinal design. Setting: Community hospital and university research setting. Participants: 26 low-income women (9 White, 8 Black, and 9 Hispanic) with uncomplicated term pregnancies. Main Outcome Measure: Body mass index measured weekly. Results: Among White women, body mass index decreased significantly for the first 3 weeks of the postpartum period. Black women experienced a ignificant reduction in body mass index for only the first 2 postpartum weeks. Similarly, the postpartum body mass index decreased for the first 2 weeks for Hispanic women. Prepregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain each had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index. Perception of social support at 4 weeks had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index in Black women. Conclusions: The trajectory of weight change was nonlinear with large initial weight losses during the first 2 to 3 weeks postpartum followed by weight plateaus for the remainder of the first 6 weeks postpartum.
AB - Objective: To determine the trajectory of postpartum weight changes and to examine associations between weight change in the first 6 weeks postpartum and demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral variables. Design: Prospective, longitudinal design. Setting: Community hospital and university research setting. Participants: 26 low-income women (9 White, 8 Black, and 9 Hispanic) with uncomplicated term pregnancies. Main Outcome Measure: Body mass index measured weekly. Results: Among White women, body mass index decreased significantly for the first 3 weeks of the postpartum period. Black women experienced a ignificant reduction in body mass index for only the first 2 postpartum weeks. Similarly, the postpartum body mass index decreased for the first 2 weeks for Hispanic women. Prepregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain each had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index. Perception of social support at 4 weeks had a significant positive effect on postpartum body mass index in Black women. Conclusions: The trajectory of weight change was nonlinear with large initial weight losses during the first 2 to 3 weeks postpartum followed by weight plateaus for the remainder of the first 6 weeks postpartum.
KW - Black
KW - Hispanic
KW - Postpartum
KW - Weight
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00062.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2006.00062.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16881991
AN - SCOPUS:33748338309
VL - 35
SP - 472
EP - 481
JO - JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing
JF - JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing
SN - 0884-2175
IS - 4
ER -