Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

7 p.

Publication Date

3-2017

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Women's Health Issues

Source ISSN

1049-3867

Abstract

Background

Pregnancy weight gain is believed to contribute to female overweight and obesity. However, most studies do not account for the changes in body weight expected to occur as women age. We examined the long-term weight trajectory of childbearing women relative to weight progression that could be expected in the absence of pregnancy.

Methods

From the hospital records of 32,187 women with two births in Wisconsin during 2006 to 2013, we extracted the maternal weight at pregravid, delivery, and subsequent pregravid. We predicted the corresponding aging-progressed weights using a weight-for-age equation adjusted for sociodemographic variables. Nonparametric mixed effects models estimated the average maternal weight trajectory and the corresponding aging-related progression through 5 years after birth.

Results

The estimated aging-related progression predicted a gradual annual weight increase of 1.94 pounds (95% confidence interval 1.90–1.98), from 152.79 pounds at pregravid to 163.76 pounds by 5 years after birth. Actual maternal weight followed a sinusoidal pattern: increasing during gestation, decreasing during the first postbirth year, converging with the aging-related progression during the second postbirth year, and then increasing at 2.89 pounds (95% confidence interval 2.23–3.55) annually and diverging upward from the aging-related progression to 168.03 pounds by 5 years after birth.

Conclusion

Pregnancy weight gain did not contribute to the aging-related trend, but lifestyle changes of parenthood may later exacerbate the long-term trend.

Comments

Accepted version. Women's Health Issues, Vol. 27, No. 2: (March-April 2017): 174-180. DOI. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. Used with permission.

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