title: Parity and risk of metabolic syndrome among Chinese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies regarding the effects of parity on metabolic syndrome in later life have produced conflicting results. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between parity and the risk of metabolic syndrome and its components in a population of Chinese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed in a total of 13,358 women (mean age 61.5 years) with at least one live birth from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study. Each woman completed baseline questionnaires and received baseline examination, including a physical examination and laboratory tests. Participants were categorized into four groups according to parity (one, two, three, four or more live births). The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Foundation criteria. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between parity and metabolic syndrome, with adjustment of potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study sample, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 38.6% (5,156 of 13,358). After adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and reproduction-related factors, women with two, three, or four or more live births had 1.18 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.32), 1.44 times (95% CI, 1.24-1.67), and 1.52 times (95% CI, 1.26-1.83), respectively, higher odds of having metabolic syndrome compared with those with one live birth. Furthermore, parity showed a positive association with waist circumference and a negative association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiparity was associated with increasing risk of metabolic syndrome independent of main covariates in this population of Chinese women. The findings suggested that multiparity may be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Guiqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Siyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 3 Dongfeng General Hospital, Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Hubei University of Medicine , Shiyan, China .
authors.forename: Handong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .|2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Youjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, China .
authors.forename: Tangchun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference