| Summary: | Objective To systematically review the literature and describe the discrepancies in achieving the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) gestational weight gain (GWG) guidelines across cultures. Methods Ten databases were searched from inception to April 2018. Observational cohort studies were included that examined adult women; reported on a measure of culture; compared cultural groups, and reported on GWG. Articles were broken down into papers that used the current 2009 IOM GWG guidelines and those that used others. A meta-analysis was conducted for studies using the 2009 guidelines examining the prevalence of discordant GWG across cultural groups. Results The review included 86 studies. Overall, 69% of women experienced discordant GWG irrespective of culture. White women experienced excessive GWG most often, and significantly more than Asian and Hispanic women; Black women had a higher prevalence of excessive GWG than Hispanic and Asian women; however, this difference was not significant. Conclusions The majority of women experience excessive GWG, with White women experiencing this most often. Culturally diverse GWG guidelines are needed to individualize antenatal care and promote optimal maternal-fetal health outcomes across cultural groups.
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