Ms Jenny Cunningham

Research project: To better understand weight stigma as experienced by women with a raised body mass index (BMI ≥30m/kg²) and to find ways to reduce or eradicate this stigma in maternity services

Abstract

To better understand the experience of weight stigma as experienced by pregnant women with a raised body mass index (≥30m/kg²) and to find ways to reduce or eradicate weight stigma in maternity services.

The research objectives:

• To undertake a meta-ethnography to examine the experiences and perceptions of weight stigma of women with a raised body mass index (BMI ≥30m/kg²) in maternity care
• To use a qualitative methodology to investigate what women would like changed in maternity services to reduce or eradicate weight stigma.
• To use Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) which will involve the building of a research collective to advise and drive the project direction.
• To bring forward solutions about how weight stigma can be reduced or eradicated in maternity services
• To disseminate these findings together with the research collective
• To develop post-doctoral work which will focus on how to implement solutions to reduce or eradicate weight stigma in maternity services.