The Review of Body Mass Index Measurements during the First Prenatal Checkup at Healthcare Facilities in Rural Areas of Hormozgan, Iran

Abstract

<em>Introduction:</em>Early identification of women, who are at risk of malnutrition, is effective for the prevention and management of complications. Maternal body mass index (BMI) in the first prenatal checkup can be an indicator of the nutritional status of pregnant women. This study aimed to review the BMI status of pregnant women during the first prenatal checkup at healthcare facilities in rural areas of Hormozgan, Iran. <em>Methods:</em>In this cross-sectional study, data were collected by the form of prenatal care. The study sample included all mothers attending rural health center of Hormozgan (10,649 people). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 19. <em>Results:</em>The survey showed that 51.94% of maternal BMIs were in the normal range, 18.20% were in the lean range, 9.31% were in the overweight range, and 5.77% were in the obesity range; in 14.79% of the cases, the BMI was not measured. <em>Conclusion:</em>Based on the results of the present study, 33.28% of the studied women in rural areas of Hormozgan had abnormal BMI. Given the role of BMI in the desired amount of weight gain during pregnancy and its impact on the prevention of complications such as low birth weight, prematurity, and childhood obesity, providing suggestions regarding appropriate weight gain during pregnancy is among the basic measures that should be considered during the first checkup.