Association between prepregnancy obesity and metabolic risk in Chilean premenopausal women 10 y postpartum

One of every four pregnant women in Chile is obese. Gestational obesity is associated with maternal metabolic complications in pregnancy (e.g., gestational diabetes, preeclampsia), but to our knowledge, there is little evidence on relationships with future metabolic risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between prepregnancy obesity (prepregnancy body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) or excessive gestational weight gain (GWG; according to the 2009 recommendations from the Institute of Medicine), and maternal metabolic complications 10 y postpartum in premenopausal Chilean women.

A prospective study was conducted. In 2006, 1067 Chilean mothers of children born in 2002-participants of the GOCS (Growth and Obesity Cohort Study)-were recruited. Mothers completed a questionnaire concerning sociodemographic, anthropometric, and pregnancy characteristics. Of the sample, 402 women were randomly selected to participate in a study related to the determinants of breast cancer risk in 2012. At follow-up, anthropometry, blood pressure, and fasting labs were measured. Complete data was available for 366 women.

Thirty-two percent of mothers had prepregnancy overweight/obesity and 39.1% had excessive GWG. In adjusted models, prepregnancy obesity was positively associated with increased insulin resistance (odds ratio [OR], 18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2-62.7), metabolic syndrome (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.3-8.3), and hyperglycemia (OR, 3; 95% CI, 1.1-8.6). Prepregnancy overweight/obesity was associated with increased risk for insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hypertriglyceridemia (P < 0.05). Excessive GWG was not associated with metabolic risk in the main model but was found to be positively associated in models with correction of weight by possible recall bias.

Gestational obesity was associated with maternal metabolic alterations 10 y postpartum. Prevention strategies for chronic diseases should consider prepregnancy obesity as a modifiable risk factor for future metabolic health.