Weight Management Options Adopted by Female Teacher in Secondary Schools in Enugu Education Zone During Pregnancy

Abstract

Body weight management constitutes the numerous challenges that an expectant mother and specifically an expectant working mother faces throughout her period of pregnancy and beyond. The study investigated weight management options adopted by female teachers in public secondary schools in Enugu State during pregnancy. Literature was extensively reviewed. Three research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The hypothesis was tested with t-test statistic at .05 level of significance. 509 out of 5488 female teachers teaching in public secondary schools in Enugu education zone formed research respondents. Researchers’ developed and validated questionnaire titled “Weight Management Options Questionnaire (WMOQ)” was used as instrument for data collection. Data analysis was done with x, S.D and t-test statistic. The findings among others revealed that female teachers in public secondary schools in Enugu Education Zone do not adopt exercise as an alternative therapy for weight management during pregnancy. However, diet is an adopted option for weight management during pregnancy especially among these teachers in the urban schools. Conclusively, female teachers in public secondary schools are generally inactive during pregnancy. The recommendations among others include expansion of antenatal curriculum content to include fitness and wellness pursuit while government should establish wellness centers in secondary schools to get women more active while still at work. The state workers’ monthly fitness and wellness programme organized by the Ministry of Youths and Sports should be expanded to target expectant mothers.

Keywords: Management, Overweight, Utilization, Female Teachers.