Comparing the Different Antenatal Nutritional Counseling Methods Regarding Proper Gestational Weight Gain during the Second Trimester: A randomized, controlled trial

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the two different antenatal nutritional counseling styles [computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and routine, casual, individual (RCI)] regarding the proper gestational weight gain (GWG) of healthy pregnant women during the second trimester, and to identify the factors influencing the level of pregnant women’s GWG. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized, controlled study comparing the number of pregnant women in the CAI and RCI groups who had a proper GWG during the four-week period. Results: There were 70 and 80 participants in the CAI and RCI groups, respectively. The basic characteristics of the two groups at the beginning of the study were similar. The rate of the participants who had an appropriate GWG according to their pre-pregnancy BMI in both groups was comparable (p = 0.656, 0.307, 0.111, and 0.524 among the underweight, normal-weight, overweight and obese women, respectively). The number of participants who had an appropriate GWG was 50.0%, 47.8%, 23.1%, and 20.0% in the CAI group and 37.5%, 58.3%, 58.3%, and 50.0% in the RCI group.The GWG per week according to the participants’ pre-pregnancy BMI was comparable in both groups (p = 0.585, 0.292, 0.087, and 0.614 in the underweight, normal-weight, overweight, and obese women, respectively). The multiparous women had a significantly increased possibility of having an appropriate GWG (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Antenatal nutritional counseling using CAI was shown to be comparable to RCI in trying to achieve an appropriate GWG. The multiparous individuals had significant factors for having an appropriate GWG.