Magnitude and Factors Associated with Gestational Weight Gain Adequacy among Pregnant Women in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Weight gain during pregnancy depends on the maternal pre-pregnancy weight and height. Inappropriate weight gain has negative consequences including the health care system and society due to its adverse birth outcomes. So, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and factors associated with gestational weight gain in Northwest Ethiopia. From September 2018 to June 2019, a community-based prospective follow-up study was conducted in Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 422 pregnant women were followed from conception to delivery and the data was collected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Stata 14(SE) software was used for data analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. P-Value ≤0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. Majority of the participants had normal weight gain (65.12%, 95% CI: 60.08, 69.85)). Besides this, the rate of inadequate and over adequate weight gain was 21.53% (95% CI: 17.60, 26.05) and 13.35% (95% CI: 10.22, 17.25), respectively. Inadequate weight gain was linked to meal frequency (AOR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.97), targeted supplementary feeding program (TSFP) enrollment (AOR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.35, 4.50), parity (AOR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.62), and alcohol consumption history (AOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.88), whereas over adequate weight gain was associated with residency (AOR: 5.22, 95% CI: 2.43, 11.22), and TSFP status (AOR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.57). This study revealed a notable magnitude of both inadequate and over adequate weight gain. It found that good meal frequency, alcohol consumption, parity, and TSFP enrollment were associated with a reduced risk of inadequate weight gain during pregnancy. Additionally, the study identified residence and TSFP enrollment as factors linked to over adequate weight gain.