title: [Obesity in Brazilian women: association with parity and socioeconomic status].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the influence of reproductive history on the prevalence of obesity in Brazilian women and the possible modifying effect of socioeconomic variables on the association between parity and excess weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of complex sample data collected as part of the 2006 Brazilian National Survey on Demography and Health, which included a group representative of women of childbearing age in Brazil was conducted. The study included 11 961 women aged 20 to 49 years. The association between the study factor (parity) and the outcome of interest (obesity) was tested using logistic regression analysis. The adjusted effect of parity on obesity was assessed in a multiple regression model containing control variables: age, family purchasing power, as defined by the Brazilian Association of Research Enterprises (ABEP), schooling, and health care. Significance level was set at below 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of obesity in the study population was 18.6%. The effect of parity on obesity was significant (P for trend < 0.001). Unadjusted analysis showed a positive association of obesity with parity and age. Family purchase power had a significant odds ratio for obesity only in the unadjusted analysis. In the adjusted model, this variable did not explain obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that parity has an influence on obesity in Brazilian women of childbearing age, with higher prevalence in women vs. without children.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, rabrandao@usp.br.
authors.forename: Regicely Aline Brandão
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, rabrandao@usp.br.
authors.forename: Maria Helena D'Aquino
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Benicio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010298:Parity; D017584:Reproductive History; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult