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Epidemiology and Population Health

Prepregnancy maternal BMI and trajectories of BMI-for-age in children up to four years of age: findings from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort

International Journal of Obesity volume 48, pages 353–359 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

The aims of the study were to: (a) describe BMI-for-age trajectories in children up to four years of age; (b) evaluate the association between prepregnancy maternal BMI and the BMI-for-age trajectories.

Methods

Data from 3218 (75.3% of the original cohort) children from the Pelotas 2015 Birth Cohort were analyzed. Prepregnancy BMI (kg/m2) was measured on the perinatal interview. Z-scores of BMI-for-age were calculated for children at three months, 1, 2 and 4 years. Trajectories were identified using a semi-parametric group-based modeling approach. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the association between prepregnancy BMI (weight excess: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and BMI-for-age trajectories.

Results

Four trajectories of the BMI-for-age, in z-score, were identified and represent children in the “increasing”, “adequate”, “stabilized” and “risk for weight excess” group. A total of 196 children (7.1%) belonged to the group that was at risk of weight excess. Adjusted analyses showed that children whose mothers presented prepregnancy weight excess had 2.36 (95%CI 1.71; 3.24) times more risk of belonging to group “risk for weight excess” when compared to those children whose mothers presented underweight/normal weight before pregnancy.

Conclusion

The risk of weight excess in children up to 4 years of age were greater in mothers who presented prepregnancy weight excess.

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Fig. 1: Flowchart of the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort.
Fig. 2: BMI-for-age in z-score trajectories in children, Pelotas/RS, Brazil, 2015 Birth Cohort. (n = 3218).

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Data availability

The data underlying this article were provided by “Pelotas Birth Cohort, 2015” conducted by Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology at Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Information on how to access the data can be found at: https://www.epidemio-ufpel.org.br/site/content/home/.

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Acknowledgements

This article is based on data from the study “Pelotas Birth Cohort, 2015” conducted by Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology at Universidade Federal de Pelotas, with the collaboration of the Brazilian Public Health Association (ABRASCO). The first phases of the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort was funded by the Wellcome Trust (095582). Funding for specific follow-up visits was also received from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) and Children’s Pastorate sponsored follow-up at twenty-four months; and FAPERGS – PPSUS, the Wellcome Trust (10735_Z_18_Z), and the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BRA-2018-178) for the fort-eight months follow-up.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

    Thaynã R. Flores, Otávio Amaral de Andrade Leão, Bruno P. Nunes, Romina Buffarini, Mariangela Freitas da Silveira, Pedro C. Hallal & Andréa Dâmaso Bertoldi

  2. Program in Nursing, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

    Bruno P. Nunes

  3. School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Gregore Iven Mielke

  4. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Caroline dos Santos Costa

  5. Program in Physical Education, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

    Marlos Rodrigues Domingues

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Contributions

TRF, OAAL, MRD, MFS, PCH and ADB worked in the fieldwork and data collection of the 2015 Cohort. TRF and OAAL contributed to the conception and design of this study. TRF, OAAL, BPN and GIM conducted the statistical analyses and all authors contributed to the interpretation of findings. TRF conducted the research for related literature and wrote the initial draft of the paper. All authors contributed to subsequent versions, critically reviewed the paper several times, and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thaynã R. Flores.

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Flores, T.R., de Andrade Leão, O.A., Nunes, B.P. et al. Prepregnancy maternal BMI and trajectories of BMI-for-age in children up to four years of age: findings from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort. Int J Obes 48, 353–359 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01422-1

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