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International Journal of Obesity (2014) 38, 714718 & 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0307-0565/14
http://www.nature.com/ijo
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Excessive gestational weight gain over multiple pregnancies and the prevalence of obesity at age 40
AK Cohen1, BW Chaffee1, DH Rehkopf2, JR Coyle3 and B Abrams1,4
OBJECTIVE: Although several studies have found an association between excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and obesity later in life, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have explored the role of GWG events across the life course.
DESIGN AND METHODS: We describe how the prevalence of midlife obesity (BMIX30 at age 40 or 41) among women varies by life course patterns of GWG (using 2009 IOM guidelines) in the USAs National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort. RESULTS: Among women who reported 13 births before age 40, the prevalence of midlife obesity increased with a rising number of excessive GWG events: from none (23.4%, n 875) to one (37.6%, n 707), from none (23.4%, n 875) to two (46.8%, n 427)
and from none (23.4%, n 875) to three (54.6%, n 108), Po0.00005 for trend. Obesity prevalence was similar for the same
number of excessive GWG events, regardless of parity. No clear pattern emerged for the sequencing of excessive GWG event(s) and later obesity.
CONCLUSIONS: In our descriptive exploratory study, excessive GWG events appear to be associated with increased prevalence of obesity for parous women, suggesting the importance of preventive interventions regardless of timing of pregnancy-related weight changes over the life course.
International Journal of Obesity (2014) 38, 714718; doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.156
Web End =10.1038/ijo.2013.156
Keywords: gestational weight gain; life course; pregnancy; women
INTRODUCTIONThe Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2009 guidelines1 distinguish between inadequate, adequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) as having different implications for the health of the mother and of the child. Excessive weight gain is associated with several short-term weight-related outcomes, including higher post-partum weight retention,2,3 higher birth weight4 and childhood obesity.5
Several birth cohort analyses have found that excessive GWG is associated with obesity later in life,6 but these studies710 measure GWG in only one pregnancy per woman. Two studies have considered GWG events from two consecutive pregnancies,11,12
but, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have explored GWG events over a womans...