Lost in translation? English- and Spanish-speaking women's perceptions of gestational weight gain safety, health risks and counseling

OBJECTIVE: To determine English- and Spanish-speaking women's perceptions on gestational weight gain (GWG) counseling. STUDY DESIGN: We administered a written survey to 279 pregnant women regarding GWG counseling and knowledge. We compared English- and Spanish-speaking women's responses using chi(2)-tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULT: Seventy-four (27%) women completed the survey in Spanish and 205 (73%) in English. More Spanish compared with English speakers did not know if their provider recommended weight gain goals (26% vs 10%, odds ratio (OR) 3.2, confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 6.5); if there are risks to excessive GWG for mother (27% vs 11%, OR 3.1, CI 1.5 to 6.4) or infant (38% vs 16%, OR 3.3, CI 1.7 to 6.3); or if exercise (15% vs 1%, OR 12.1, CI 3.0 to 69.1) or weight loss (35% v 12%, OR 4.0, CI 2.0 to 8.0) were safe during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Significant differences exist between Spanish- and English-speaking women's perception of GWG counseling, which may be due to language or cultural barriers.