Maternal Physical Activity During Pregnancy, Child Leisure-Time Activity, and Child Weight Status at 3 to 9 Years.
BACKGROUND
We sought to evaluate the effects of maternal leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy and current child LTPA on child weight status.


METHODS
Women with term pregnancies in the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health Study (1998-2004) were followed-up. A race-stratified subset of participants (cohort A) received extensive follow-up efforts leading to better response rates (592/926 = 64%) and diversity. The remainder (Cohort B) had a lower response rate (418/1629 = 26%). Women reported child height, weight and LTPA at 3 to 9 years (inactive vs. active), and recalled pregnancy LTPA (inactive vs. active). A 4-category maternal/child LTPA variable was created (reference: active pregnancy + active child). Children were classified as healthy weight, overweight, or obese using age- and sex-specific Body Mass Index percentiles. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of child obesity (reference: healthy weight).


RESULTS
In unadjusted analyses, pregnancy inactivity increased odds for obesity when the child was active (1.6 [95% CI, 1.0-2.6] in Cohort A; 2.1 [95% CI, 1.1-4.0] in Cohort B), and more so when the child was inactive (2.4 [95% CI, 1.2-4.9] in Cohort A; 3.0 [95% CI, 1.0-8.8] in Cohort B). Adjustment for covariates attenuated results to statistical nonsignificance but the direction of relations remained.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal inactivity during pregnancy may contribute to child obesity risk.
Dept of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Lanay M
LM
Mudd
Jim M
JM
Pivarnik
Karin A
KA
Pfeiffer
Nigel
N
Paneth
Hwan
H
Chung
Claudia
C
Holzman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D050177:Overweight; D063766:Pediatric Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors