The partner-an underutilized facilitator to support healthy gestational weight gain

Abstract

According to the Social Ecological Model of Behavior Change, support persons and the immediate household environment are crucial pillars of behavior change. In the context of pregnancy, we hypothesize that promotion of effective behavior changes to support healthy GWG depends on individual-level factors, in addition to support and adoption of health behavior change in partners, and couple-determined changes to the overall household environment (Fig. 1). [...]their statement that partners encouraged pregnant women to overeat and that some women reported their partners as a ‘feeder’ suggests partners have their own view of eating behavior that might change during pregnancy. [...]the authors described that some women reported relying on family and friends for advice on healthful diets and physical activity; yet this advice was sometimes discordant with their own beliefs.