Abstract
BackgroundThe evidence of an association between neighbourhood deprivation and overweight is established for different populations. However no previous studies on neighbourhood variations in obesity in pregnant women were found. In this study we aimed to determine whether obesity during early pregnancy varied by neighbourhood economic status.MethodsA register based study on 94,323 primiparous pregnant women in 586 Swedish neighbourhoods during the years 1992-2001. Multilevel technique was used to regress obesity prevalence on socioeconomic individual-level variables and the neighbourhood economic status. Five hundred and eighty-six neighbourhoods in the three major cities of Sweden, Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö, during 1992-2001, were included. The majority of neighbourhoods had a population of 4 000-10 000 inhabitants.ResultsSeven per cent of the variation in obesity prevalence was at the neighbourhood level and the odds of being obese were almost doubled in poor areas.ConclusionOur findings supports a community approach in the prevention of obesity in general and thus also in pregnant women.
Highlights
The evidence of an association between neighbourhood deprivation and overweight is established for different populations
In the present study we investigated neighbourhood variations in obesity prevalence in Swedish primiparous women in their early pregnancy
95.3% of women (n = 89,851) were not obese according to World Health Organisaton (WHO)'s criteria, while 4.7% (n = 4,463) were
Summary
The evidence of an association between neighbourhood deprivation and overweight is established for different populations. No previous studies on neighbourhood variations in obesity in pregnant women were found. In this study we aimed to determine whether obesity during early pregnancy varied by neighbourhood economic status. Overweight is a predominant health problem worldwide and is today regarded as one of the most important health threats [1]. This epidemic is especially pronounced in young people, including women of reproductive age. A Swedish study reported a six-fold increase since 198081 in obesity prevalence in women 16 to 34 years of age [2]. An overview by Guelinckx et al reported obesity prevalence in pregnant women from different countries ranging from 1.8% to 25.3% [3]. Maternal risks include gestational diabetes, hypertension and preeclampsia, increased incidence of operative delivery, postpartum haemorrhage, and anaesthetic risks, as well as infective and thromboembolic complications, while foetal risks include miscarriage, neural tube defects, macrosomia, and stillbirth
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