Research
Research and Professional Brief
Greater Nutrition Knowledge Is Associated with Lower 1-Year Postpartum Weight Retention in Low-Income Women

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess nutrition knowledge during early and late postpartum in a sample of low-income and minority women, and to determine if that knowledge had any relationship to weight retention at 1-year postpartum. A questionnaire was developed and validated in a sample of 151 low-income new mothers. This instrument was then administered to a separate sample of mothers (n=140) of similar demographics to assess nutrition knowledge at 0 to 1 days and 12 months postpartum. In addition, a survey of nutrition information sources was administered at both time points. Nutrition knowledge was compared with 12-month postpartum weight retention and demographic variables. Women who retained less than 5% of weight gained during pregnancy had greater knowledge of nutrition at 0 months (53% vs 49%, P<0.05) and 12 months (55% vs 51%, P<0.05) than those who retained 5% or more of weight gained during pregnancy. Whites had higher nutrition knowledge scores than non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics. Women who lactated 6 months or more had more knowledge than those who lactated less than 6 months. Higher knowledge test scores were observed among women who used the Internet and books/magazines as their source for information. These results indicate that assessment of nutrition knowledge in early postpartum can identify women at risk for significant weight retention.

Section snippets

Methods

A test of general nutrition knowledge was developed and validated in 151 low-income women at day 1 after childbirth. Procedures for test development were adapted from Parmenter and Wardle (29). The 50 multiple-choice and true/false questions were derived from the media and literature topics related to nutrient content of foods, diet/disease relationships, and dietary recommendations. Test items were reviewed by a panel of nutrition and health professionals to establish face validity. The

Results

The age of test subjects was 22.5±0.33 (mean±standard error of the mean) years with a range of 18 to 35. Subjects were 40.7% Hispanic, 30.7% non-Hispanic black, and 28.6% white; women had a parity of 1 to 2. Less than half were high school graduates; more than 60% were not married or living with a partner, and 62.1% lactated for 0 to 1.5 months. All subjects were eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Prepregnancy BMI was 25.8±0.49 (range

Discussion

These results indicate that women who had a better understanding of nutrition retained less weight at 1 year postpartum than those who had lower scores on a nutrition knowledge test. To our knowledge, we are unaware of any other noninterventional studies, such as this one, that compared postpartum weight status to measured nutrition knowledge. However, one intervention study of postpartum weight retention supports our finding (28). Leermaker and colleagues found that predominantly white (97%)

Conclusions

Assessment of nutrition knowledge in early postpartum can help nutrition and health professionals identify women who may be at risk for retaining excessive weight. Minority women should receive special attention because non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women had lower knowledge and greater postpartum weight retention. Breastfeeding was positively associated with nutrition knowledge and lower weight retention, and should be encouraged by health care professionals.

H. Nuss is a research nutritionist, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, Baton Rouge, LA; at the time of the study, he was a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin.

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    • Cited by (0)

    H. Nuss is a research nutritionist, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services, Baton Rouge, LA; at the time of the study, he was a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin.

    J. Freeland-Graves is the Bess Heflin Centennial Professor and Head, Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.

    K. Clarke is an assistant professor, the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

    D. Klohe-Lehman is a child nutrition outreach program specialist, Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin.

    T. J. Milani is a senior account executive, Euro RSCG Life PR and Noonan Russo, San Diego, CA; at the time of the study, she was a graduate student, Division of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.

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    Copyright © 2007 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.