Live Births in Women over 40 Years of Age Correlate with Obesity Rates

Abstract

Aims: This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the relationship between live birth and the prevalence of obesity in Chinese women over 40 years of age. Methods: From April to November 2011, the Endocrinology Branch of the Chinese Medical Associa-tion conducted the REACTION project, a national, multicenter, cross-sectional study of Chinese adults aged 40 years and older. Demographic and medical data were collected through validated question-naires and equipment. Anthropometric indicators, blood pressure, and biochemical data were measured by professional medical personnel. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic analy-sis. Multivariate regression models were used to analyze obesity-related risk factors. Results: The prevalence of obesity among women increased gradually from 3.8% to 6.0% with an increasing number of live births. Women with two live births had the highest prevalence of over-weight at 34.3%. Overall, the obesity and overweight rates were slightly higher in premenopausal women than in postmenopausal women. Univariate regression analysis showed that the risk of obe-sity in women increased with an increasing number of live births. In addition, multivariate regres-sion analysis showed that the risk of obesity increased with an increasing number of live births in women with systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 121 mmHg or current smoking (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The risk of obesity increases with the number of live births in Chinese women over 40 years of age with SBP < 121 mmHg or current smoking. Our findings may facilitate the develop-ment of interventions to prevent obesity in this population.