Association of the maternal experience and changes in adiposity measured by BMI, waist:hip ratio and percentage body fat in urban Brazilian women

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 85; no. 1; pp. 107 - 114
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Maria L.C.F., Da Costa, Teresa H.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.01.2001
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Adiposity; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Analysis of Variance; Anthropometry - methods; Biological and medical sciences; BMI; Body Constitution; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Breastfeeding & lactation; Cities; Contraceptives; Cooking oils; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diet; Education; Female; Health sciences; Humans; Hypertension; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Nutrition; Obesity; Parity - physiology; Pregnancy; Public health; Recruitment; Reproductive History; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Urban Health; Waist:hip ratio; Weight Gain - physiology; Womens health; South America; Brazil; America; Pregnancy; Waist:hip ratio; Adiposity; BMI; Human; Obesity; Urban environment; Prevalence; Adipose tissue; Anthropometry; Nutrition disorder; Environmental factor; Corporal biometry; Body composition; Abdomen; Body mass index; Mother; Female; Nutritional status
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN2000233
• ISSN: 0007-1145

The aim of the present study was to determine the association between the maternal experience and changes in adiposity measured by BMI, percentage body fat (PBF) and waist:hip ratio (WHR). In a cross-sectional study, 203 women were recruited at health care and educational facilities in Brasilia, Brazil. These women were divided into three groups: fifty-three nulliparous (no full-term pregnancy); sixty-three primiparous (one full-term pregnancy); eighty-seven multiparous (two or more full-term pregnancies). Socio-economic, behavioural, reproductive and dietary data were collected. All the women were measured for weight, height, skinfold thicknesses and waist and hip circumferences. Analysis of covariance was used to measure the differences among the three groups in relation to BMI, PBF and WHR, controlling for the following covariates: age; socio-economic status; use of oral contraceptives; smoking; energy intake level; cooking oil intake; physical activity level; lactation score; parity. The three groups of women differed significantly for BMI (P=0·04), PBF (P=0·0008) and WHR (P=0·0001). Multiparous women presented higher BMI (P=0·01) and PBF (P=0·03) compared with primi- and nulliparous groups. PBF was also associated with age and high socio-economic status. Primi- and multiparous women showed a higher WHR than nulliparous women (P<0·0001). Age and smoking habit were also factors associated with higher WHR.