The influence of psychological factors on postpartum weight retention 12 months post-birth

Figures & data

Figure 1. A conceptual model of psychosocial predictors of postpartum weight retention.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of sample (N = 178).

	n	%	Mean	SD
Age
19–25	18	9.9
26–29	48	26.9
30–34	70	39.5
35–39	37	20.5
40–43	5	2.5
Marital status
Married	140	78.7
De facto	33	18.5
Never married/single	5	2.8
Birth location
Australia	143	80.3
New Zealand	5	2.8
Europe (incl. United Kingdom)	14	7.8
North America	4	2.2
Asia	12	6.7
Education
Tertiary level (post high school)	159	89.4
High school or less	19	10.6
Employment
In paid employment	145	81.5
Full-time carer	33	18.5
Household income
<AUD$65,000	33	18.6
AUD$65,000–AUD$105,000	43	24.2
>AUD$105,000	100	56.9
Missing	2	1.1
Parity
Primiparous	83	46.6
Multiparous	95	53.4
Substance use during pregnancy
Smoking	1	0.6
Alcohol (2 glasses or more at one time)	119	66.9
Psychiatric history
None	131	73.6
Minor depression	21	11.8
Anxiety disorder	19	10.7
Major depression	7	3.9
Antenatal or postnatal depression	6	3.3
Bipolar disorder	2	1.1
Receiving current treatment	7	3.9
Family history of mental illness	94	52.8
Pre-pregnancy BMI, kg/m^2			26.5	5.94
Healthy (18.5–24.9)	43.8	78
Overweight (25–29.9)	33.1	59
Obese (>30)	19.7	35
Underweight (<18.5)	2.8	5
Missing values	.6	1
GWG, kg (T2)			10.66	4.93
Within	31.5	56
Above	30.3	54
Below	37.6	67
Missing values	.6	1
PPWR, kg (T3)			.54	6.49
<5 kg	75.8	138
>5 kg	20.2	36
Missing values	3.9	7

Table 2. Correlations of T2 (gestational) variables (N = 178).

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	M (range) SD
1 PPWR	–	−.01	.42**	.10	.07	.00	−.15*	.07	.06	−.02	−.07	−.02	−.08	.01	.54 (-20, 28.5) 6.32
2 Pre-pregnancy BMI		–	−.21**	.115	.04	.16*	−.09	.27**	.14	−.06	.02	−.08	.11	−.07	26.50 (15.51, 50.88) 5.22
3 GWG			–	.06	.16*	.14	−.00	.00	−.13	.08	−.10	.11	−.08	.04	10.66 (.8, 23.60) 4.91
4 Depression				–	−.18*	−.28**	.14	−.24**	−.27**	−.02	.05	−.29**	.05	−.04	18.45 (10, 24) 2.31
5 Anxiety					–	.63**	.04	.07	.10	.06	.01	−.07	−.06	.03	2.75 (0, 9) 2.31
6 Stress						–	−.06	.25**	.26**	.06	−.06	−.05	−.01	.05	3.13 (0, 10) 2.46
7 Attractiveness							–	−.51**	−.34**	.47**	.01	.19*	.00	.01	13.03 (8,17) 1.93
8 Feeling fat								–	.71**	−.33**	−.09	−.20**	−.08	−.05	28.17 (13, 48) 8.02
9 Salience of weight and shape									–	−.25**	−.09	−.11	.02	.13	12.61 (5, 18) 1.92
10 Strength and fitness										–	.12	.19*	−.11	.16*	17.49 (10, 24) 2.67
11 Physical activity											–	−.14	−.11	.14	113.64 (0, 525) 116.54
12 Perceived social support												–	.12	.25**	73.79 (36, 84) 9.16
13 Age													–	.02	31 (19,43) 4.65
14 Education														–	6.15 (2, 8) 1.69

* p < .01.

** p < .05.

Table 3. Correlations of T3 (postpartum) variables (N = 178).

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	M (range) SD
1 PPWR	–	−.01	.42**	.09	.05	.03	−.31**	.28**	.06	−.12	.11	−.11	−.08	.01	.54 (–20, 28.5) 6.32
2 Pre-pregnancy BMI		–	−.21**	.03	.10	.06	−.18*	.49**	.14	−.09	.40**	−.06	.11	.07	26.50 (15.51, 50.88) 5.22
3 GWG			–	.06	−.05	−.02	.13	−.04	.00	.23**	−.07	.00	−.08	.04	10.66 (.8,23.60)4.91
4 Depression				–	−.18*	−.28**	−.32**	.23**	.20*	−.30**	−.04	−.17*	.06	.03	18.82 (13, 24) 2.06
5 Anxiety					–	.63**	−.25**	.26**	.14	−.33**	.24**	−.11	.07	.04	2.22 (0, 10) 2.32
6 Stress						–	−.27**	.18*	.22**	−.21**	.17*	.27**	.05	−.08	3.04 (0, 10) 2.72
7 Attractiveness							–	−.48**	−.31**	.47**	−.09	−.18*	.07	.05	2 115.39 (8, 24) 2.81
8 Feeling fat								–	.79**	−.33**	.11	−.22**	.13	−.03	33.78 (12, 55) 10.13
9 Salience of weight and shape									–	−.23**	.05	.19*	.03	−.01	13.43 (8, 20) 2.58
10 Strength and fitness										–	.05	−.09	.02	.13	16.44 (9, 24) 2.76
11 Physical activity											–	.02	−.08	−.03	214.30 (0, 990) 175.91
12 Perceived social support												–	.08	.02	73.84 (45, 84) 8.57
13 Age													–	.02	31 (19,43) 4.65
14 Education														–	6.15 (2, 8) 1.69

* p < .01.

** p < .05.

Table 4. Hierarchical regression of late pregnancy variables associated with 12-month PPWR (N = 178).

Predictors	∆R^2	p	B	SE B	β
Step 1	.00	.81
Recruitment source			−.41	1.05	.02
Step 2	.20	.00
GWG			.55	.09	.46**
Pre-pregnancy BMI			.10	.09	.08
Sleep quality			−.47	.65	−.05
Step 3	.01	.70
Social support			−.03	.05	−.05
Age			−.08	.10	−.06
Education			.16	.27	.04
Step 4	.00	.47
Exercise			−.00	.01	−.06
Step 5	.01	.50
Depressive symptoms			.19	.16	.10
Anxiety symptoms			.13	.27	.05
Stress symptoms			−.32	.26	−.13
Step 6	.04	.16
Feeling fat			−.10	.08	−.16
Strength and Fitness			.029	.13	.02
Salience of weight and shape			.14	.22	.07
Attractiveness			−.48	.20	−.23

** p < .001.

Table 5. Hierarchical regression of variables associated with PPWR performed at T3 (N = 178).

Predictors	∆R^2	p	B	SE B	β
Step 1	.00	.83
Recruitment source			.245	1.12	.02
Step 2	.22	.00
GWG			.62	.10	6.23**
Pre-pregnancy BMI			.17	.09	.13
Sleep quality			−.33	.67	−.04
Step 3	.01	.72
Social support			−.06	.05	−.08
Age			−.02	.10	−.02
Education			−.02	.25	−.04
Step 4	.00	.65
Physical activity			.00	.00	.05
Step 5	.00	.86
Depressive symptoms			.17	.24	.08
Anxiety symptoms			−.04	.33	−.02
Stress symptoms			−.01	.25	−.00
Step 6	.16	.00
Feeling fat			.12	.07	.23
Strength and Fitness			−.15	.11	−.11
Salience of weight and shape			−.18	.18	−.12
Attractiveness			−.55	.15	−.32**

** p < .001.