Factors affecting weight management in pregnant women with overweight or obesity - A meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies

Background Overweight and obesity have multiple negative consequences for the health of both the mother and the child. Interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy have had varying success, and the proportion of pregnant women who exceed national guidelines for weight gain continues to increase. Objective To investigate the impact of factors on weight management among pregnant women with overweight or obesity Methods This meta‐synthesis of qualitative studies involved searching databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science. The databases were searched on October 4, 2022 and the search was updated on April 21, 2023. The screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts was conducted utilizing the Covidence software. The quality assessment of the articles was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement was used to enhance transparency in reporting. A meta-aggregation approach was used to guide the data extraction and synthesis. Results A total of forty-six studies with appropriate CASP scores were included for qualitative synthesis. Findings were extracted and integrated into four themes: psychological factors (personally-driven negative emotions and society-driven negative emotions.), social factors (societal attitudes and beliefs and social support resources), factors related to education and counseling (information provision and communication), and factors associated to effective care (provided care components and the method of providing effective care). Conclusion To improve weight management during pregnancy, health care professionals should provide tailored and individualized recommendations that take into consideration the factors influencing these women.