Midwives’ knowledge and health guidance practices regarding gestational weight gain in Mongolia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) affects perinatal outcomes. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies on midwives’ knowledge and health guidance practices regarding GWG in Mongolia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate midwives’ knowledge about weight control, clarify GWG guidance during pregnancy, and identify factors related to the implementation of GWG guidance in Mongolia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire was conducted among midwives registered with the Mongolian Midwives Association. The survey was conducted between July and August 2024. The questionnaire asked about calculating body mass index (BMI), BMI categories, and implementation of GWG health counseling. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with health guidance on GWG and BMI knowledge.

Results: A total of 414 responses were analyzed. Of the participants, 38.4% could correctly calculate BMI, and 37.7% could correctly answer what the BMI “normal weight” category was. Furthermore, 38.6 to 77.8% of midwives provided the 10 recommended health guidance items to more than 90% of pregnant women. Midwives working in hospital wards, those with fewer years of clinical experience, those who did not know how to calculate BMI, and those who did not have experience learning about weight control were associated with lower GWG health guidance scores.

Conclusions: This study clarified the health guidance practices regarding GWG and determined midwives’ level of knowledge about weight control in Mongolia. Postgraduate education for midwives should be enhanced to improve health guidance for GWG in Mongolia.