Obesity Abstracts

Background: Preventing obesity among women of reproductive age is a public health priority. African migrant women are high risk groups for maternal overweight and obesity in high-income countries. This study investigates the perceptions of African migrant women living in the UK on obesity, and factors influencing their weight status and weight-related behaviours.

Methods: Qualitative face-to-face interviews were carried out with African migrant women aged 18–45, who had lived in the UK for at least six months, and given birth within the last two years. Data were coded using NVivo and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Data coding was informed by the health belief model and theory of planned action; including coding for: participants’ beliefs about obesity, factors influencing their weights, weight-related behaviours, intentions and actions.

Results: Fifteen women from Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana were interviewed. These women believed that Africans are not at risk of developing obesity, and it is not a health issue they commonly talk about. Dietary and genetic factors were primarily described as causes of obesity, while physical activity (mostly interpreted as sport/vigorous exercise) was not an intrinsic part of their culture. Women believed that preconception weight didn’t influence health/pregnancy. Meanwhile, pregnancy was associated with heightened weight-awareness. Challenges to maintaining healthy pregnancy weight included families encouraging weight gain; food cravings; unhealthy food in the UK and using pregnancy as an excuse to over-eat, with plans to lose weight postnatally. Midwives and relatives were useful information sources for pregnancy weight. Women found midwives’ PA advice helpful, but could hardly remember dietary advice. Advice from friends and family was valued more. Despite cultural preference for ‘bigger’ women and stigma relating to small body size in the African society, most women desired weight loss and preferred smaller body sizes. Post-migration changes in weight perceptions were reported, including increased knowledge of healthy weight-related behaviours and awareness of unhealthy cultural practices.

Conclusions: Women’s weight perceptions and behaviours were influenced by both back home and post-migration factors. Knowledge on preconception weight implications was lacking, while maintaining healthy pregnancy weight was challenging.

Keywords: Obesity, pregnancy, African, migrant