Gestational weight gain status and body satisfaction among Kurdish women: A cohort study

Background Appropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) is crucial for predicting maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and is considered a key indicator of maternal and child health status worldwide. While excessive GWG is a concern in high- income countries, the prevalence of obesity and inadequate GWG remains unclear among Kurdish women. This study aimed to assess the status of gestational weight gain and body satisfaction among Kurdish pregnant women. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal care in two randomly selected primary health care centers in Erbil City. A purposive sample of 152 pregnant women was enrolled. Data were collected at four time points: on pregnancy diagnosis, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, and 37 weeks of gestation. Data were collected on sociodemographic, obstetrical history, physical measurements, and the Body Understanding Measure for pregnancy scale (BUMPs). Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact Test, and simple linear regression, was performed using SPSS version 27. Results Obesity increased dramatically from 23.7% by 1st visit on pregnancy diagnosis to 74.3% by the 4th visit (37 weeks) among the total sample. A highly significant association was found between pre- pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and total weight gain in the third trimester (p < 0.001). The majority of women who started pregnancy as overweight (79.7%) or obese (88.9%) experienced excessive weight gain compared to those who had a normal BMI. A highly significant association was found between overall body understanding at the 4th visit and total GWG (p < 0.001). A significant association was found between socioeconomic status and weight gain (p = 0.027), with women in the middle socioeconomic group showing the highest proportion of high weight gain (64.9%). Conclusions Pre-pregnancy BMI is a strong predictor of total GWG, with overweight and obese women being highly prone to excessive gain. Furthermore, lower levels of body understanding satisfaction are significantly associated with high total weight gain.