Association of adolescent obesity and lifetime nulliparity

Association of adolescent obesity and lifetime nulliparity – SWAN, the study of women's health across the nation

Alex J Polotzky et al., 2011

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2891509/


Abstract

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Objective

To evaluate whether adolescent obesity is associated with difficulties for becoming pregnant later in life.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal cohort

Setting

Multiethnic, community-based observational study of US women

Patient(s)

3154 midlife women

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Lifetime nulliparity and lifetime nulligravidity

Result(s)

527 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 to 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 (p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that women who were obese adolescents had significantly higher odds of remaining childless as compared to normal weight women (odds ratio [OR] 2.84, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.59 to 5.10) after adjusting for adult BMI, history of non-gestational 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 to 7.26).

Conclusion(s)

Adolescent obesity is associated with lifetime nulliparity and nulligravidity in midlife U.S. women.

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[There seems to be a connection between high sugar diets and obesity. Maybe these diets also cause a lowered fertility in women.]