Association of adolescent obesity and lifetime nulliparity—The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 93; no. 6; pp. 2004 - 2011
• Main Authors: Polotsky, Alex J., M.D., M.S, Hailpern, Susan M., Dr.P.H., M.S, Skurnick, Joan H., Ph.D, Lo, Joan C., M.D, Sternfeld, Barbara, Ph.D, Santoro, Nanette, M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Body Mass Index; Cohort Studies; Female; gravidity; Humans; Internal Medicine; Longitudinal Studies; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - physiopathology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; parity; Parity - physiology; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Time Factors; United States - epidemiology; Women's Health; United States; Adolescents; body mass index; parity; gravidity; obesity
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.12.059

Objective To evaluate whether adolescent obesity is associated with difficulties in becoming pregnant later in life. Design Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal cohort. Setting Multiethnic, community-based observational study of U.S. women. Patient(s) Three thousand one hundred fifty-four midlife women. Main Outcome Measure(s) Lifetime nulliparity and lifetime nulligravidity. Result(s) Five hundred twenty-seven women (16.7%) women had never delivered a baby. Participants were categorized by self-reported high school body mass index (BMI): underweight (<18.5 kg/m2 ), normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2 ), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2 ), and obese (>30 kg/m2 ). The prevalence of lifetime nulliparity increased progressively across the high school BMI categories: 12.7%, 16.7%, 19.2%, and 30.9%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that women who were obese adolescents had significantly higher odds of remaining childless compared with normal weight women (odds ratio [OR] 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59–5.10) after adjusting for adult BMI, history of nongestational amenorrhea, marital status, ethnicity, study site, and measures of socioeconomic status. Furthermore, adolescent obesity was associated with lifetime nulligravidity (OR = 3.93; 95% CI, 2.12–7.26). Conclusion(s) Adolescent obesity is associated with lifetime nulliparity and nulligravidity in midlife U.S. women.