title: Prevalence of obesity in a Saudi obstetric population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of obesity and its determinants during the first month of gestation in Saudi women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of measured BMI in Al-Hassa, the largest province in Saudi Arabia, in 2007. Data were collected from records of 791 (72.6% of 1,089) pregnant women registered for prenatal care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Height shows a normal Gaussian distribution, whereas weight is skewed positively (skewness of 0.77). The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m(2)) were 8.5, 39.3, 23.6, 23.9, and 4.7%, respectively. Logistic regression revealed that the most important significant independent predictors of obesity are parity of 4 and more (odds ratio (OR) = 5.8) and urban residence (OR = 4.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity are common (>52%) among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. Health education to control body weight before pregnancy is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. ahgilany@gmail.com
authors.forename: Abdel-Hady
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: El-Gilany
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Wehady
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult