"I have not been doing it because of my fear of something happening." Exploring perspectives on healthy dietary behaviors and physical activity in Mexican pregnant women and health care professionals: A qualitative study.

Objectives: Mexico exhibits one of the highest prevalence rates of overweight and obesity globally, accompanied by a surge in non-communicable diseases, which in turn leads to elevated mortality rates. Existing efforts to address rising obesity rates have shown limited effectiveness. Maternal weight, diet, and physical activity (PA) during pregnancy affect the mother's and offspring's health. Despite the importance of establishing and engaging in healthy behaviors during pregnancy, little is known about which factors impact these behaviors among pregnant women in Mexico. This study explored perspectives on factors impacting healthy dietary behaviors and PA in pregnancy from pregnant women and health care professionals in Mexico.

Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 11 pregnant women and 12 health care professionals working in prenatal care. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis in a stepwise inductive approach.

Results: Classifying factors at the 1) individual level, 2) relational level, and 3) health care system level, three overall themes emerged. At the individual level, challenges with lack of time and competing priorities as well as knowledge of healthy dietary behaviors and PA were identified. At the relational level, influencing factors encompassed financial, social, and emotional support along with descriptive norms. At the health care system level, guidelines for PA during pregnancy and the quality of care were noted.

Conclusions: This study identified factors impacting healthy dietary behaviors and PA in pregnancy in Mexico. Important considerations for future interventions include addressing sociocultural norms around healthy dietary behaviors and PA in pregnancy and involving pregnant women's families, closest social networks, and health care professionals working at the prenatal care unit.