Abstract
Accumulating evidence has highlighted the role of maternal nutritional status on fetal development, birth outcomes and child health. The Mother and Infant Nutritional Assessment (MINA) cohort is a 3-year follow-up study of pregnant women and their children in Qatar and Lebanon. This study reports on the characteristics and determinants of pre-pregnancy BMI and Gestational Weight Gain (GWG) of MINA particiants, as well as birth outcomes. A total of 272 pregnant women were recruited during their first trimester from primary healthcare centers as well as private clinics in Beirut (n = 194) and Doha (n = 147). During the first visit, data collection included pre-pregnancy weight, sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. The weight before delivery and neonatal outcomes were extracted from the medical records. GWG was calculated as the difference between weight before delivery and pre-pregnancy weight and was classified into insufficient, adequate, and excessive, as per the IOM criteria. Overall, 42.1% of women had a pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 Kg/m2 (58% in Qatar vs 30.8% in Lebanon, p<0.001). Only 30.2% of women had adequate GWG, while 25.7% and 44.1% of women had insufficient and excessive GWG, respectively. In the cohort 68.7% of infants had a weight adequate-for-gestational age (AGA), 6.7% were SGA and 24.6% were LGA. The proportions of LGA were higher with greater GWG (p<0.05). After adjustment, Qatari women were 3 times more likely to be overweight or obese before pregnancy while a higher education level was associated with significantly lower odds of pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 Kg/m2. Pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 Kg/m2 and regular breakfast consumption were predictors of excessive GWG (OR: 3.20, CI: 1.48–6.91; OR: 2.84, CI: 1.15–7.02, respectively). The high prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight and excessive GWG among MINA participants underscores the need for culture-specific intervention programs to promote healthy body weight in women of childbearing age, and prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
Highlights
Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are witnessing the nutrition transition with its characteristic shifts in diet, lifestyle, and alarming surges in obesity and nutritionrelated chronic diseases [1]
In the EMR, high rates of overweight and obesity have been reported among women of childbearing age, with estimates reaching as high as 79% [4,5,6], implying that women begin their pregnancy with a higher body mass index (BMI) [7]
Delivery data were available for 272 women
Summary
Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are witnessing the nutrition transition with its characteristic shifts in diet, lifestyle, and alarming surges in obesity and nutritionrelated chronic diseases [1]. Despite the significant health impact of pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on the health of both the mother and the child, and their implications on the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), little is known about their prevalence and determinants in countries of the EMR This is of particular importance to the region, where approximately 60% of mortality is attributed to NCDs [22]. To move this agenda forward, a collaborative endeavor was initiated between Lebanon and Qatar to launch the first mother and child cohort in the region, examining the impact of maternal nutritional status and lifestyle characteristics on neonatal outcomes [23], and investigate the association of nutrition imbalances early in life with birth outcomes, growth patterns, as well as early determinants of NCDs [23]. A secondary objective of this paper is the evaluation of the socio-demographic determinants of loss to follow-up in the MINA cohort
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
