Résumé
Emerging work has highlighted that weight stigma, defined as social misconceptions and stereotypes associated often with higher weight, is pervasive in pregnancy and may be a barrier to healthful behaviours such as physical activity (PA). Self-efficacy plays a crucial role in facilitating adherence to PA in pregnancy. This study explored if weight stigma experienced within PA settings is associated with exercise self-efficacy among Canadian pregnant individuals. A hundred and eighty-seven pregnant participants completed an online Qualtrics questionnaire on: adherence to Canadian PA recommendations, exercise self-efficacy, and open-ended questions about their weight stigma experiences. Analysis of covariances were conducted to compare self-efficacy scores between individuals who did and did not report weight stigma, controlling for gestational age. Ninety-four participants (50.3%) reported experiencing weight stigma during pregnancy, and 52 of the 94 participants (27.8%) reported stigma specifically within PA settings with no differences observed for exercise self-efficacy. To describe weight stigma in PA contexts, content analysis revealed two distinct themes: pregnancy-related changes related to physical function and functional limitations and social influences. Participants described PA environments as non-conducive to larger bodies especially with changes in weight gain. Second, social networks through judgemental remarks increased feelings of stigma and exclusion in PA environments. These findings suggest that although weight stigma did not appear to impact exercise self-efficacy, it is still prevalent in PA contexts and could impact behavioural decision-making. Future work may explore factors such as internalization of weight stigma and impact on PA behaviours.
