“In an ideal world”: A qualitative exploration of shared decision-making and weight stigma in antenatal care

Background

Shared decision-making supports women’s autonomy in antenatal care, but several barriers to shared decision-making have been identified in practice. Women with high body mass index experience a higher rate of interventions, which could provide more opportunities for shared decision-making in antenatal care. However, weight stigma may exist as a barrier to shared decision-making, limiting access to collaborative care.

Aim

To explore how shared decision-making is implemented and whether body mass index influences maternity clinicians' use of shared decision-making when providing antenatal care for women.

Methods

Maternity clinicians were recruited via purposive sampling from two sites in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

Twelve maternity clinicians consented to participate. Three themes and ten sub-themes were identified. The themes were: 1) Whose choice is it anyway? 2) Pregnancy as risky 3) Excess weight as a diseased state.

Discussion

Maternity clinicians in this study view pregnancy through a risk management lens that complicates women’s involvement in decision-making, demonstrating inherent beliefs that may further limit options for women with high body mass index.

Conclusion

Shared decision-making is difficult to implement in the current antenatal clinic setting and requires significant structural consideration to become a reality for women. Clinicians may inadvertently limit meaningful opportunities to engage in shared decision-making with women with high body mass index due to preconceived perceptions of risk and stigmatising beliefs about women with high body mass index.