AWHONN Convention
 

Sessions

“More Than Just a Number on the Scale” A Qualitative Study of the Maternity Care Experience of Women with Obesity

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Title: “More Than Just a Number on the Scale” A Qualitative Study of the Maternity Care Experience of Women with Obesity

Longhorn Hall D (Gaylord Grapevine)
Deborah Mandel, PhD, RNC-OB, , Nursing, West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Sharon Bernicki DeJoy, PhD, MPH, CPM , Derpartment of Health, West Chester University, West Chester, PA

Discipline: Obstetric (OB), Professional Issues (PI), Women’s Health (WH)

Learning Objectives:
  • The learner will understand the experiences of pregnant women who are obese.
  • The learner will become familiar with best practices in caring for obese pregnant women.
  • The learner will examine their own bias toward obese pregnant patients.

    • Submission Description:
    Based on the literature about the psychological and physiological effects of weight bias, obesity stigma may be a determinant of poor birth outcomes in women with BMI>30, as both a distal and proximal risk factor for stress, discrimination, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and differential care.11 To optimize care and outcomes for women with obesity, providers and researchers must understand their experiences with the health care system and how those experiences may affect them. However, research in this area is limited and research is needed to better understand these women's experiences.

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