Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-x5cpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-31T14:39:31.565Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Obesity and weight change related to parity and breast-feeding among parous women in Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Denise C Coitinho ,
Rosely Sichieri  and
Maria Helena D'Aquino Benício
Denise C Coitinho
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, University of Brasília, Brazil
Rosely Sichieri*
Affiliation:
Social Medicine Institute, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Maria Helena D'Aquino Benício
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, Public Health Faculty, University of São Paulo, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author: Email sichieri@uerj.br
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

Studies on the independent role of parity in long-term body weight change in economically developing countries are scarce and inconclusive, and only a few studies have taken into account patterns of breast-feeding. This association was examined in a national cross-sectional survey representative of Brazilian parous women.

Design and setting:

The survey conducted in 1996 measured women's height and weight in the household and data on weight prior to the first pregnancy, parity and breast-feeding were recalled.

Subjects:

A sample of 2338 parous women, 15 to 49 years of age, 29 months after last delivery on average, had current body mass index (BMI, in kg m−2) modelled through hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis. Explanatory variables included parity, days of predominant breast-feeding, BMI pre-pregnancy, socio-economic, geographic, demographic and other reproductive variables.

Results:

Prevalences of overweight (BMI=25.0–29.9 kg m−2) and obesity (BMI<=30.0 kg m−2) were 25.2% and 9.3%. The overall mean weight gain per year after the first pregnancy was 0.90 kg for an average time since first pregnancy of eight years. BMI pre-pregnancy modified the association between current BMI and parity. Therefore, weight change attributed to parity calculated for a woman of average height (1.56 m) was 0.60 kg greater for primiparous women with a BMI pre-pregnancy of 30 kg m−2, compared with women with BMI pre-pregnancy of 25 kg m−2. This greater weight retention among obese women was 1.21 kg for women with two children and 1.82 kg for women with three or more children. Parity reduced the effect of weight loss associated with lactation (1.75 kg for six months of lactation among primiparous women and 0.87 kg among women with three or more children). For the sub-sample of 793 primiparous women, a weight decrease of 300 g was associated with each month of predominant breast-feeding for all prior BMI levels.

Conclusions:

In this study, weight change associated to reproduction was highly dependent on BMI previous to pregnancy and the effects of parity and lactation were small.

Keywords

ParityBMIWeight gainPregnancyOverweightWomenChildbearingBreast-feeding
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 4 , August 2001 , pp. 865 - 870
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

References

1World Health Organization. Obesity, Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic.Report of a WHO Consultation on Obesity.Geneva: WHO/NUT/NCD/98.1,1998.Google Scholar
2Coitinho DC. A influência da história reprodutiva no índice de massa corporal de mulheres Brasileiras [The influence of reproductive history in the body mass index of Brazilian women]. Ph.D. dissertation. Brazil: Public Health School, University of Sao Paulo, 1998.Google Scholar
3Wolf, WS, Sobal, J, Olson, CM, Frongillo, EA. Parity-associated body weight: modification by socio-demographic and behavioral factors Obes. Res. 1997; 5:(2), 131–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Smith, DE, Lewis, CE, Caveny, JL, et al. Longitudinal changes in adiposity associated with pregnancy – the CARDIA study JAMA 1994; 271:(22); 1747–51.Google Scholar
5Williamson, DF, Serdula, MK, Liu, S, et al. A prospective study of childbearing and 10-year weight gain in the U.S. white women 25 to 45 years of age. Int. J. Obes. 1994; 18: 561–9.Google ScholarPubMed
6Parker, J, Abrams, B. Differences in postpartum weight retention between black and white mothers Obstet. Gynaecol. 1993; 81:(5); 768–74.Google ScholarPubMed
7Brown, JE, Kaye, AS, Folsom, AR. Parity related weight change in women Int. J. Obes. 1992; 16: 627–31.Google ScholarPubMed
8Newcomb, RG. Development of obesity in parous women J. Epidemiol. Comm. Health 1982; 36: 306–9.Google Scholar
9Heliovaara, M, Aromaa, AParity and obesity J. Epidemiol. Comm. Health 1981; 35: 197–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Ohlin, A, Rossner, . Maternal body weight development after pregnancy Int. J. Obes. 1990; 14: 159–73.Google Scholar
11Arroyo, P, Avila-Rosas, H, Fernandez, V, Casanueva, E, Galvan, . Parity and the prevalence of overweight Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 1995; 48: 269–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Sociedade Civil do Berm Estar Familiar. Pesquisa Nacional sobre Demografia e Saúde – DHS/III.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: BEMFAM e MACRO International, 1997.Google Scholar
13Kleinbaum, DG, Kupper, LL, Muller, KE, Nizan, AApplied Regression Analysis and Other Multivariable Methods, 3rd revised edn. New York, NY: Brooks/Cole publishing Company, 1998.Google Scholar
14Greene, GW, Smiciklas, WH, Scholl, TO, Karp, RJPost partum weight change: how much of the weight gained in pregnancy will be lost after delivery? Obstet. Gynaecol. 1988; 71: 701–7.Google Scholar
15Hunt, SC. Pregnancy weight retention in morbid obesity Obes. Res. 1995; 3:(2), 121–30.Google Scholar
16Rookus, MA, Rokebrand, P, Burema, J, Deurenberg, GP. The effect of pregnancy on the body mass index 9 months postpartum in 49 women. Int. J. Obes. 1987; 11: 609–18.Google ScholarPubMed
17Shauberger, CW, Rooney, BL, Brimer, LM. Factors that influence weight loss in the puerperium Obstet. Gynaecol. 1992; 79: 424–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Potter, S, McFarlin, B, Campbell, E, et al. Does infant feeding method influence maternal postpartum weight loss? J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1991; 91:(4), 441–5.Google Scholar
19Dugdale, AE, Eaton-Evans, J. The effect of lactation and other factors on post-partum changes in body-weight and triceps skinfold thickness Br. J. Nutr. 1989; 61: 149–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20French, SA. Predictors of weight change over two years among a population of working adults: the Healthy Worker Project Int. J. Obes. 1994; 18: 145–54.Google ScholarPubMed
21Institutes of Medicine. Nutrition During Pregnancy: Weight Gain, Nutrient Supplements.Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990.Google Scholar
22Dewey, KG, Heining, MJ, Laurei, NA. Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1993; 58: 162–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Tavani, A, Negri, E, La Vecchia, C. Determinants of body mass index: a study from northern Italy Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disorders 1994; 8:497–502.Google Scholar
24Rush, D, Lumey, LH, Ravell, ACJ and Myers, BThe indirect association between lactation with subsequent perimenopausal body weight Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1994; 50:(1), 12–16.Google Scholar
25Dorea, JG. Changes in body weight and adiposity during lactation Nutr. Res. 1997; 17: 379–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Koop-Hoolihan, LE, Van Loan, MD, Wong, WW, King, JC. Longitudinal assessment of energy balance in well-nourished pregnant women Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999; 69: 697–704.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Pitkin, RM. Energy in pregnancy Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999; 69: 583–4.Google Scholar
28Janney, CA, Zhang, D, Sowers, M. Lactation and weight retention Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1997; 66: 1116–24.Google Scholar