Factors associated with weight gain during pregnancy

Introduction: Although pregnancy and childbirth are normal in the woman's life, overweight in pregnancy can lead to unfavorable outcomes, such as high weight of the newborn and a higher risk of preeclampsia, compared to pregnant women with normal BMI. Objective: To demonstrate the importance of following the recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 316 pregnant women attended in Basic Health Units in São Luís - MA, using a questionnaire on socioeconomic, demographic, anthropometric and lifestyle variables. Multivariate analysis was performed with Poisson regression using Stata®️ version 16.0. Results: Based on pre-gestational BMI, 50.18% of pregnant women were eutrophic; 43.22% maintained adequate weight. The prevalence of excessive weight gain was 44.11%. Factors associated with overweight included being in the third trimester, not practicing physical activity, having a resident family member, and being in ABEP class C2. Conclusion: Identifying these factors early can improve pregnancy monitoring, including nutritional guidance.