Higher gravidity and parity are associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome among rural Bangladeshi women.
BACKGROUND
Parity increases the risk for coronary heart disease; however, its association with metabolic syndrome among women in low-income countries is still unknown.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the association between parity or gravidity and metabolic syndrome in rural Bangladeshi women.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1,219 women aged 15-75 years from rural Bangladesh. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the standard NCEP-ATP III criteria. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between parity and gravidity and metabolic syndrome, with adjustment of potential confounding variables.


RESULTS
Subjects with the highest gravidity (> = 4) had 1.66 times higher odds of having metabolic syndrome compared to those in the lowest gravidity (0-1) (P trend = 0.02). A similar association was found between parity and metabolic syndrome (P(trend) = 0.04), i.e., subjects in the highest parity (> = 4) had 1.65 times higher odds of having metabolic syndrome compared to those in the lowest parity (0-1). This positive association of parity and gravidity with metabolic syndrome was confined to pre-menopausal women (P(trend) <0.01). Among the components of metabolic syndrome only high blood pressure showed positive association with parity and gravidity (P(trend) = 0.01 and <0.001). Neither Parity nor gravidity was appreciably associated with other components of metabolic syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
Multi parity or gravidity may be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
Health & Disease Research Center for Rural Peoples (HDRCRP), 14/15, Probal Housing Ltd., Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Shamima
S
Akter
Subrina
S
Jesmin
Md Mizanur
MM
Rahman
Md Majedul
MM
Islam
Most Tanzila
MT
Khatun
Naoto
N
Yamaguchi
Hidechika
H
Akashi
Taro
T
Mizutani
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult