Preconception Care to Reduce the Risks of Overweight and Obesity in Women of Reproductive Age: An Integrative Review

Despite adverse pregnancy outcomes for women with overweight or obesity, preconception guidelines for achieving optimal wellness for women contemplating pregnancy regarding the risks of overweight or obesity are varied based upon national affiliation. The aim of this study was to synthesize the best evidence related to preconception counseling and care focused on overweight or obesity provided to women of reproductive age. An integrative review of original studies was conducted. PubMed, Cumulative Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were included. Full-text, data-based articles were searched from 2009 to 2018, with reviews and synthesis completed in 2019 and 2020. Of 8703 initial articles, 31 articles remained in the review. Quality assessment and level of evidence were evaluated based upon criteria from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Quality Guide. The level of evidence for the majority of studies was non-experimental but they were of good quality with appropriate methods, samples and relevant results. Limited attention and interest in preconception counseling regarding risks of overweight or obesity by health care professionals were noted, which may contribute to women’s unawareness of these risks on preconception health.