Attempted weight loss during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence and correlates of weight loss during pregnancy.


METHODS
Cross-sectional telephone survey from 47 states and the District of Columbia.


METHODS
1794 women who reported that they were pregnant at the time of the survey.


METHODS
Self-reported weight, height, disease and behaviors.


RESULTS
A minority (3.7%; 95% CI, 2.6-4.9%) of women who reported being pregnant (n = 1794) also reported trying to lose weight. However, pregnant women who reported both drinking alcohol in the past month and currently smoking had the highest prevalence of attempted weight loss (12.7%), followed by women in their first trimester (9.4%), women with reported diabetes (9.0%) and women with very high BMIs (6.9%). After adjustment for survey design and other characteristics, women in their first trimester were four times more likely to attempt weight loss than those in the third trimester.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that weight loss attempts among women who report being pregnant are uncommon, but are more likely to occur in the first trimester and possibly among women who smoke and drink, have diabetes or are very overweight.
Cogswell
M E
ME
Serdula
M K
MK
Mokdad
A H
AH
Williamson
D F
DF
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D012907:Smoking; D013689:Telephone; D015431:Weight Loss