Abstract:
A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out to assess maternal weight gain and to
determine selected factors associated with maternal weight gain in mothers attending
maternal clinics at Medical Officer of Health areas of Ru wan well a and Yatiyantota. Socio
demographic factors, pregnancy related factors, environmental factors, nutritional status and
knowledge, attitude in relation to the maternal weight gain, were looked into. A two-staged
sampling process selected 388 uncomplicated singleton pregnant mothers. In the first stage,
11 clinics were selected randomly from 22 maternal clinics in both MOH areas. Thereafter,
in the second stage study was carried out until 388 mothers who met required criteria, were
obtained from the selected clinics. Of the mothers selected 262 were from Yatiyantota and
126 were from Ruwanwella. Average maternal weight gain in the study was 8.12kg with the
standard deviation of3.1 kg. Weight gain ranged from 2.5kg to 17.3kg. Of the study sample,
36.3 percent gained less than 7kg while 31.7 percent gained more than 9kg. In the multiple
regression analysis, using above mentioned 9 factors, 4 were identified as highly significant
correlates with maternal weight gain. They were Body Mass Index (R2= 0.061), place of
residence (R2 = 0.047), domestic workload (R2 =0.027) and parity (R2 =0.013). Therefore,
14.8 percent of variation in maternal weight gain could be explained by these 4 variables.
Body Mass Index and domestic work explained only 6.1 percent and 2.7 percent of the
variation respectively. Parity, Body Mass Index, domestic workload and exposure to
cooking smoke showed inverse relationships with maternal weight gain. These relationships
were statistically significant (PO.Ol). Nutritional status, knowledge and family income
showed positive relationships with maternal weight gain. These relationships were
statistically significant (PO.O I) A higher proportion of mothers with favorable attitude
towards weight gain during pregnancy, gained weight of 7kg or more. This difference in the
proportions of favorable attitude group was statistically significant (P0.05). Level of
education and birth interval up to the interval of 36 to less than 60 months, had a positive
linear relationship with maternal weight gain. These relationships were statistically
significant (P0.05). When ethnicity was considered, highest proportion of mothers gaining
7kg or more, were Muslims while lowest was observed in Tamil mothers. Mean weight gain
of estate mothers was 6.18kg while it was 8.33kg in non- estate mothers.
