Maternal dietary patterns and risk of postpartum weight retention
Objective: This study examined the association between dietary patterns in pregnancy and five years postpartum weight retention (PPWR).
Methods: Cohort study. Pregnant women (n 391), enrolled in primary care clinics in Southern Brazil, were followed during for five years postpartum. The food intake assessment in pregnancy was performed using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were identified by cluster analysis. In baseline, women self-reported their prepregnancy weight. Five years after pregnancy, they self-reported their current weight. Poisson regression models with robust variance were built in order to measure the effect of dietary patterns during the pregnancy period on five years PPWR. We defined substantial postpartum weight retention as retaining over 10 kg above the prepregnancy weight.
Results: Weight retention occurred in 35.2% (n 139). The mean (±SD) PPWR was 8.2 Kg ± 9.1. At 5 years after pregnancy, 26% (n 101) were obese and 39.1% (n 152) were overweight. Women with a restrict dietary pattern had a higher risk of PPWR compared to those who presented a varied consumption pattern (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.25). In fully adjusted model, the restrict dietary pattern was still associated with PPWR (RR 1.39, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.94), when we controlled for gestational weight gain, prepregnancy body mass index, age, total parity and socio-economic status.
Conclusions: Important maternal weight retention occurred in these women in five years postpartum. The restricted pattern, characterized by a higher consumption of sweet cookies, whole milk, yogurt, French fries, snacks, soft drinks, natural juice, powdered chocolate and ice cream, was associated with more weight retention and obesity risk in the period following childbirth.