Longitudinal Associations of Marital, Parenting, and Employment Transitions with Weight Gain in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population Aged 21 Years and Above

Abstract

Identifying when most weight gain occurs throughout the life course can inform targeted public health interventions. We evaluated the association of childbirth, marriage, and employment changes with weight changes in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort. Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort participants ≥21 years (n = 9655) who identified as ethnic Chinese, Malay, or Indian were weighed and interviewed about marital status, employment, and number of children at baseline and after about four years. We used multivariable regression to evaluate life transitions in relation to weight change and major gain (≥5 kg), and adjusted for socio-demographic covariates. Weight gain was 3.55 kg (95% CI 3.17, 3.94) higher in young adults (21–30 years) compared with participants older than 60 years at baseline. Getting married was associated with weight gain in women, but not men (p interaction < 0.01). Women who got married gained 1.63 kg (95% CI 0.88, 2.38) more weight and were more likely to gain ≥5 kg (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.35, 2.93) than those remaining unmarried. Having children was not associated with weight gain. Only among ethnic Indians, remaining a homemaker was associated with less weight gain than remaining employed. In this multi-ethnic Asian population, obesity prevention efforts should target young adulthood and, in women, the transition into marriage.

Increasing trends in obesity prevalence from 2013 to 2019 and associated factors in Brazil

“…In an article that considered waist circumference as an outcome, it was equally evident that men and women living with a partner had higher means of this anthropometric indicator 39 . A study in China showed that individuals gain weight after marriage or stable union 40 . One of the explanatory hypotheses is that people who do not have a partner invest more efforts in monitoring their weight to remain attractive 41 .…”

Eating Patterns of Young Women (18–25 y) with Overweight and Obesity: A Preliminary Investigation

“…Overweight, obesity, and weight gain in young adulthood increase the likelihood of overweight/obesity in adulthood and the consequent risk of lifetime chronic disease [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], and for young women, obesity during pregnancy has been linked to poor health outcomes in offspring [ 4 , 5 ]. Young adults aged 18–25 years are particularly vulnerable to weight gain and are gaining weight faster than their older counterparts [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Young adulthood is characterised by significant life changes, such as leaving the family home, resulting in increased independence, particularly with regards to food choices [ 1 , 9 ].…”