A conceptual model of psychological predictors of postpartum weight retention

Abstract

Obesity and being overweight affect almost half of all women of childbearing age, with postpartum weight retention (PWR) being a key contributing factor. Retention of postpartum weight has a number of negative health implications for mothers and offspring, including longer-term higher body mass index (BMI). There is increasing evidence that psychological factors are associated with PWR, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and body dissatisfaction. However, what is less known is how these psychological factors might interact with maternal physiological and physical weight factors, sociocontextual influences, pregnancy-related medical factors, and maternal behaviours to lead to PWR. We have incorporated identified psychological influences within an empirically supported, multifactorial, conceptual model of hypothesised predictors of PWR, and argue that a systematic and rigorous evaluation of this conceptual model will inform the development of appropriate prevention strategies.

Obesity and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum: A systematic review

“…Although it has been recognized that psychosocial factors play an important role in the epidemiology of GWG and PPWR (Hartley et al, 2015;Hill et al, 2013;Kapadia et al, 2015;Phillips et al, 2012), we identified only two studies with a focus on the association of excessive GWG and anxiety Webb et al, 2009), and only three with a focus on the association between PPWR and anxiety (Bogaerts et al, 2013c;Phillips et al, 2014bPhillips et al, , 2014b. While excessive GWG and PPWR were not related to anxiety in studies from the general pregnant population, one study provides support for an association of anxiety and PPWR among obese pregnant women (Bogaerts et al, 2013c).…”

The influence of psychological factors on post‐partum weight retention at 9 months

“…Influences on PWR are complex and multifactorial (Phillips, King, & Skouteris, ). It is well established that GWG is one of the most salient and consistent predictors of PWR (Huang, Wang, & Dai, ; Siega‐Riz et al ., ).…”

The influence of psychological distress during pregnancy on early postpartum weight retention

“…Further investigation of the effects of psychological influences on PWR is essential, as there is a currently a paucity of research that explores such relationships, after controlling for other identified contributing factors, as outlined by Phillips et al (2012) in Figure 1. Hence, the overall aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological factors during pregnancy and early postpartum and PWR, after controlling for the influences of maternal weight, medical, sleep quality, sociocontextual, and behavioural factors, as stipulated in the conceptual model of Phillips et al (2012).…”

“…Hence, the overall aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological factors during pregnancy and early postpartum and PWR, after controlling for the influences of maternal weight, medical, sleep quality, sociocontextual, and behavioural factors, as stipulated in the conceptual model of Phillips et al (2012). It was hypothesised that depression, anxiety, stress and body dissatisfaction during pregnancy and early postpartum would be associated with higher levels of PWR at three months postpartum.…”

“…A range of physiological, sociocultural, medical and behavioural factors influence postpartum weight retention (PWR), although inconsistency exists across studies (Phillips, King, & Skouteris, 2012). Of these factors, the most salient and consistent predictor of PWR is excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) .…”