Maternal body mass index in pregnancy and offspring physical and psychosocial functioning in older age: findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS).
BACKGROUND
Maternal obesity is associated with several adverse long-term health outcomes in the offspring. In this study, we examined the association between maternal body mass index (BMI) and offspring physical and psychosocial functioning in late adulthood.


METHODS
The study included 1759 men and women born during 1934-1944 and belonging to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Data on maternal weight and height in late pregnancy and on offspring birth weight were retrieved from hospital birth records. Physical and psychosocial functioning was assessed using the Short Form 36 scale.


RESULTS
Maternal BMI was positively associated with poorer physical and psychosocial functioning among men, but not among women. This association was not mediated by birth weight.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study emphasizes the importance of preventing overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age. Key messages Maternal BMI is known to be associated with adverse health outcomes among adult offspring. We found that higher maternal BMI was associated with poorer physical and psychosocial functioning among male offspring in late adulthood. The association between maternal BMI and offspring physical and psychosocial functioning was not mediated by birth weight.
a Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care , University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki , Finland ;|b Folkhälsan Research Centre , Helsinki , Finland ;
Anna P
AP
Westberg
b Folkhälsan Research Centre , Helsinki , Finland ;|c Department of Chronic Disease Prevention , National Institute for Health and Welfare , Helsinki , Finland ;
Minna K
MK
Salonen
b Folkhälsan Research Centre , Helsinki , Finland ;|d Gerontology Research Center, Department of Health Sciences , University of Jyväskylä , Jyväskylä , Finland ;
Mikaela
M
von Bonsdorff
c Department of Chronic Disease Prevention , National Institute for Health and Welfare , Helsinki , Finland ;|e Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|f Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.
Eero
E
Kajantie
a Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care , University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki , Finland ;|b Folkhälsan Research Centre , Helsinki , Finland ;|c Department of Chronic Disease Prevention , National Institute for Health and Welfare , Helsinki , Finland ;
Johan G
JG
Eriksson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Birth weight; maternal obesity; offspring health; physical functioning; psychosocial functioning