title: Ethnic disparities in maternal obesity and weight gain during pregnancy. The Generation R Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine ethnic disparities in maternal prepregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain, and to examine to which extent these differences can be explained by socio-demographic, lifestyle and pregnancy related characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multi-ethnic population-based prospective cohort study among 6444 pregnant women in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, maternal anthropometrics were repeatedly measured throughout pregnancy. Ethnicity, socio-demographic, lifestyle and pregnancy related characteristics were assessed by physical examinations and questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of prepregnancy overweight and obesity was 23.1% among Dutch-origin women. Statistically higher prevalences were observed among Dutch Antillean-origin (40.8%), Moroccan-origin (49.9%), Surinamese-Creole-origin (38.6%) and Turkish-origin (41.1%) women (all p-values <0.05). Only Dutch Antillean-origin, Moroccan-origin, Surinamese-Creole-origin and Turkish-origin women had higher risks of maternal prepregnancy overweight and obesity as compared to Dutch-origin women (p-values <0.05). Socio-demographic and lifestyle related characteristics explained up to 45% of the ethnic differences in body mass index. Compared to Dutch-origin women, total gestational weight gain was lower in all ethnic minority groups, except for Cape Verdean-origin and Surinamese-Creole-origin women (p-values <0.05). Lifestyle and pregnancy related characteristics explained up to 33% and 40% of these associations, respectively. The largest ethnic differences in gestational weight gain were observed in late pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed moderate ethnic differences in maternal prepregnancy overweight, obesity and gestational weight gain. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and pregnancy related characteristics partly explained these differences. Whether these differences also lead to ethnic differences in maternal and childhood outcomes should be further studied.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sunayna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahadoer
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Section Prevention and Public Health, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carry M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Renders
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: v.jaddoe@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D055726:Cabo Verde / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009427:Netherlands Antilles / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013532:Suriname / Q000453:epidemiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ethnicity; Gestational weight gain; Maternal body mass index; Maternal obesity; Pregnancy outcomes