Association between parity and obesity: a cross sectional study on 6,447 Iranian females

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between parity and obesity in Iranian women. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 6447 urban women aged 40-65 were studied. Parity(number of full-term births), age at menarche, menopausal status, age, height, weight, marital status, education level and occupation were gathered by a checklist. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Statistical associations between parity and obesity using multiple logistic regression model were examined. RESULTS: The mean age of the enrolled women was 48.40 ± 6.13 years. The mean BMI was 27.55 ± 4.47 kg/m(2). Of the total participants enrolled, 3517 (54.55%) had < 3 parities, while 2930 (45.44%) had ≥ 3 parities. The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) and overweight (30 > BMI ≥ 25) was 27.50 % (95% CI 26.85-28.15) and 43.70% (95% CI 42.98-44.42), respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, women with ≥ 3 parities were at higher risk of being obese (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.35). CONCLUSION: There was a statistically significant positive association between higher parity and obesity. It is recommended that health policymakers plan appropriate weight loss programs for postpartum.