Overweight and obesity during pregnancy
STUDENT PROJECTS ON THE METHODOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN DREYFUS HEALTH FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP SMALL HEALTH PROJECTS „SOLVING PROBLEMS FOR BETTER HEALTH CARE“
Information for nursing staff, 2022, 55(2), 59-62.
D. Veleva-Kirova1, G. Markova2
1 2nd year student, Specialty “Midwife”, Faculty of Health Care, Medical University ‒ Pleven
2 Department of Nursing Surgical Care, Faculty of Public Health, MU ‒ Pleven
Abstract. Overweight and obesity are common health problems in almost every part of the world, except in some African regions. Nowadays this issue has grown to the size of an epidemic. Unfortunately, these issues also concern pregnant women. The reasoning behind this possibility of causing risky pregnancy and threatening the lives of the mother or her unborn child. Children, born by overweight or obese mothers, are at high risk of developing insulin resistance and obesity in the future. Overweight and obesity can be prevented by improving the nutritional status and optimizing women’s weight before and during pregnancy. The purpose of this project is through health-educational approaches (presentations, conversations, surveys, brochures, etc.) to motivate 10 women in their first trimester to lead healthy lifestyle during their pregnancy and prevent the occurrence of obesity or overweight. The aimed success is 50% and the planned timespan is 6 months. This project will be cooperated by “Health care” lecturer, a gynecologist and a midwife and it will be evaluated by statistical methods: two surveys for the pregnant women who participated in the project, and the goal is to examine their body weight. The results will be processed with Excel and statistical program SPSS v.19. So far, all activities from Step 1 have been fulfilled.
Key words: overweight, obesity, pregnancy
Address for correspondence: Denica Veleva-Kirova, e-mail: denito86.dv@gmail.com