Mothers’ perceptions of barriers and opportunities for health-promoting lifestyle one year postpartum

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is often seen as an opportunity for women to transition to a health-promoting lifestyle but maintaining healthy habits can be challenging in the postpartum period. This study aims to explore women's experiences with lifestyle changes related to diet, physical activity, mental health, and social health one year after delivery. METHODS: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with women one year postpartum (n = 24; mean age 33.58 ± 0.88; mean BMI (kg/m2) 23.18 ± 3.09) recruited through a longitudinal study in Austria were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Five overarching themes related to the research question emerged, including ‘social relationships and partnership,’ ‘responsibilities, stressors, and time,’ ‘diet, exercise, and sleep patterns,’ ‘mental illness,’ and ‘family and external support.’ Women's views on lifestyle changes reflect the diversity of different personalities and life circumstances. However, the results suggest that women find it difficult to transfer their good intentions from pregnancy to postpartum behavior, regardless of their initial motivation. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need for individualized health supports that provide flexibility, such as telehealth, to address nutrition, psychological and physiological changes, feelings of distress, and lack of support. Health professionals and support systems can provide targeted, evidence-based interventions and support for this population by understanding how the transition to motherhood affects mothers’ lifestyles and health habits. Overall, the study provides valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities that mothers face postpartum and can inform the development of evidence-based interventions to promote their health and well-being. KEY MESSAGES: • There is a need for individualized health support (e.g. telehealth) that provides flexibility in the postpartum period for maintaining a health-promoting lifestyle. • Understanding postpartum transition enables health professionals and support systems to provide evidence-based interventions for maternal well-being.