Table 3.
Enablers | Capability | Physical | (i) Physical fitness improved over time |
Psychological | (i) Knowing about healthy eating during pregnancy | ||
(ii) Aware/informed about bGDM/GDM | |||
Opportunity | Physical | (i) Active baby increases mother's activity | |
(ii) Baby, easy to look after, allows more time for healthier lifestyle | |||
(iii) Affordable childcare at gyms | |||
(iv) Exercise sessions available on weekends | |||
(v) Allowed more time while on leave from work | |||
Social | (i) Support and/or encouragement from family members and friends | ||
Motivation | Automatic | (i) Used to healthy dietary pattern and/or active lifestyle | |
(ii) Craved healthier food | |||
(iii) Likes exercise | |||
Reflective | (i) Cared about baby's health and/or own health | ||
(ii) Wanted to lose weight or not gaining too much weight | |||
(iii) Tried to avoid food (e.g. sugar, soft drink) “causing” hyperglycemia | |||
(iv) Tried to set good examples for children at home | |||
(v) Thought about and planned diet and lifestyle goals in advance by using booklets from research study | |||
(vi) Attended education sessions to discuss goals for diet and exercise | |||
(vii) Wanted to make good value of the money paid for exercise sessions | |||
| |||
Barriers | Capability | Physical | (i) Being tired and exhausted or having no energy |
(ii) Experienced a painful pregnancy | |||
(iii) Felt sick and nauseous or unwell | |||
(iv) Low lying placenta | |||
(v) Had caesarean section | |||
(vi) Had knee problem | |||
Psychological | (i) Unsure about proper diet and lifestyle for women with bGDM | ||
(ii) Believed that pregnant women should not start exercising if not active before pregnancy | |||
Opportunity | Physical | (i) Being too busy | |
(ii) Lack of family support | |||
(iii) Bad weather or getting dark early during winter | |||
(iv) Having easy access to sugary food or chocolate | |||
(v) Change in weather and environment while moving to another country | |||
(vi) Shopping with young children is difficult | |||
(vii) Having meals away from home | |||
Social | (i) The belief that “new mums could have chocolate, cakes or something sweet” | ||
(ii) Lack of support from family members | |||
Motivation | Automatic | (i) Personal preference | |
(ii) Habits | |||
(iii) Craved unhealthy food | |||
(iv) Not motivated to exercise |
GDM: gestational diabetes mellitus; bGDM: borderline gestational diabetes mellitus.