Association of adolescent obesity and lifetime nulliparity--the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether adolescent obesity is associated with difficulties in becoming pregnant later in life.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal cohort.


METHODS
Multiethnic, community-based observational study of U.S. women.


METHODS
Three thousand one hundred fifty-four midlife women.


METHODS
Lifetime nulliparity and lifetime nulligravidity.


RESULTS
Five hundred twenty-seven 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/m(2)), normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m(2)), and obese (>30 kg/m(2)). The prevalence of lifetime nulliparity increased progressively across the high school BMI categories: 12.7%, 16.7%, 19.2%, and 30.9%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that women who were obese adolescents had significantly higher odds of remaining childless compared with normal weight women (odds ratio [OR] 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-5.10) after adjusting for adult BMI, history of nongestational amenorrhea, marital status, ethnicity, study site, and measures of socioeconomic status. Furthermore, adolescent obesity was associated with lifetime nulligravidity (OR = 3.93; 95% CI, 2.12-7.26).


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent obesity is associated with lifetime nulliparity and nulligravidity in midlife U.S. women.
Polotsky
Alex J
AJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. apolotsky@yahoo.com
Hailpern
Susan M
SM
Skurnick
Joan H
JH
Lo
Joan C
JC
Sternfeld
Barbara
B
Santoro
Nanette
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health