Weight‐related self‐efficacy in relation to maternal body weight from early pregnancy to 2 years post‐partum

Excessive gestational weight gain may lead to long‐term increases in maternal body weight and associated health risks. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal body weight and weight‐related self‐efficacy from early pregnancy to 2 years post‐partum. Women with live, singleton term infants from a population‐based cohort study were included (n = 595). Healthy eating self‐efficacy and weight control self‐efficacy were assessed prenatally and at 1 year and 2 years post‐partum. Body weight was measured at early pregnancy, before delivery, and 6 weeks, 1 year and 2 years post‐partum. Behavioural (smoking, breastfeeding) and sociodemographic (age, education, marital status, income) covariates were assessed by medical record review and baseline questionnaires. Multi‐level linear regression models were used to examine the longitudinal associations of self‐efficacy measures with body weight. Approximately half of the sample (57%) returned to early pregnancy weight at some point by 2 years post‐partum, and 9% became overweight or obese at 2 years post‐partum. Body weight over time was inversely related to healthy eating (β = ?0.57, P = 0.02) and weight control (β = ?0.99, P < 0.001) self‐efficacy in the model controlling for both self‐efficacy measures as well as time and behavioural and sociodemographic covariates. Weight‐related self‐efficacy may be an important target for interventions to reduce excessive gestational weight gain and post‐partum weight gain.