The weight of motherhood: Identifying obesity, gestational weight gain and physical activity level of Italian pregnant women

Benvenuti, Maria Beatrice; Bø, Kari; Draghi, Simonetta; Tandoi, Elisabetta; Haakstad, Lene Annette Hagen

doi:10.1177/17455065211016136

Cited by 9 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…To evaluate gestational weight gain, the weight variations recommended by the Institute of Medicine criteria were applied after grouping the mothers according to the pre-pregnancy BMI. [17,18] Chi-square tests were performed with the aim to evaluate the association between the reported covariates and the outcome measure, and a stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The national, longitudinal NASCITA birth cohort study: prevalence of overweight or obesity at 12 months of age in children born healthy

Clavenna

Morabito

Cartabia

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Objective. To estimate the prevalence of overweight/obesity at 12 months in an Italian birth cohort and to identify factors related to an increased likelihood of being overweight. Methods The Italian NASCITA birth cohort was analysed. Infants were classified as underweight (<5th), normal weight (5th-85th), and overweight (>85th centile) at 12 months of age according to the World Health Organization percentiles of body mass index and the prevalence of overweight/obesity was estimated. To test the association between the chance of being overweight/obese and parental and newborn characteristics, and infant feeding, healthy newborns (no preterm/low birth weight, and with no malformations), with appropriate-for-gestational-age birth weight were selected, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed Results The prevalence of overweight was 23.5% (95%CI 22.2-24.8) in the 4,270 neonates followed during their first year of life, and 23.7% (631/2749) in healthy newborns with a birth weight that was appropriate for gestational age. A big infant appetite (Odds Ratio 4.39, 95%CI: 2.73-7.07), living in southern Italy (OR 1.64, 95%CI: 1.35-2.00) and maternal age <30 years (OR 1.39, 95%CI: 1.05-1.83) were the main variables associated with a greater likelihood of being overweight/obese. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months did not influence the chance of being overweight. Conclusions The sociodemographic factors (e.g. area of residence, age) seem to be the most relevant determinants influencing the chance of being overweight. In order to prevent childhood and adult obesity, early interventions should be set up or improved, with particular attention to vulnerable families.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The national, longitudinal NASCITA birth cohort study: prevalence of overweight or obesity at 12 months of age in children born healthy

Clavenna

Morabito

Cartabia

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…1 – 13 Despite all the benefits of regular exercise, it is consistently reported that levels are decreasing throughout pregnancy, and a significant portion of the day is spent in sedentary behavior. 14 – 19 At late gestation, different studies show that 60%–80% of pregnant women do not meet the recommendations and are less active than their non-pregnant counterparts. 19 – 22 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 14 – 19 At late gestation, different studies show that 60%–80% of pregnant women do not meet the recommendations and are less active than their non-pregnant counterparts. 19 – 22 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies on this field come from the United States, and there is limited knowledge about health behavior of European pregnant women. 19 , 31 , 32 Unlike other European countries, Italy has a strong traditional role regarding pregnancy and motherhood. The men are considered the primary income providers and women are responsible for domestic duties and for raising children.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why do so many pregnant women give up exercise? An Italian cross-sectional study

Skjold

Benvenuti

Haakstad

2022

Womens Health (Lond Engl)

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Objective: Current exercise guidelines recommend women to exercise throughout pregnancy, and the benefits are well documented. Still, there is an increasing decline of exercise levels during pregnancy and a high percentage of them are sedentary. It is well established that individual attitudes and perception of barriers may influence the ability to engage in sufficient amount of exercise. This has, however, not been examined in an Italian pregnant population. Hence, the aims of the present study were to increase knowledge of facilitators and barriers to regular exercise in Italian pregnant women and to report their social support in regard to maternal exercise. Methods: Healthy, pregnant women (n = 513) were allocated from Fatebenefratelli San Giovanni Calibita, a public hospital in Rome, and four antenatal clinics in Rome and Modena. The participants completed a validated self-administrated questionnaire, the Physical Activity Pregnancy Questionnaire, in gestational week 36. In line with current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines (2020), participants were categorized as “regular exercisers” (⩾150 min/week) and “not regular exercisers” (< 150 min/week). Results: Only 4.6% of the women engaged in regular physical activity/exercise in the third trimester. “Insufficient time” (54%) were the only barrier negatively associated with exercise. The facilitators “relaxation/recreation” (18%), “prevention of health complaints” (15%), “enjoyment” (10%), and “prevention of gestational weight gain” (4%) were associated with achieving the recommendations of exercise. This study found no association between achieving the recommendations and childhood exercise/having social modeling, or exercising network/milieu (p = 0.294 and p = 0.123). Nevertheless, exercising together with others was a significant predictor for regular maternal exercise (p < 0.001). Most women did not receive any advice on exercise during pregnancy from their doctor or midwife (60.0 %). Yet, those who received such advice were significantly more likely to exercise regularly compared to those who did not (75.0% vs 38.2%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Italian pregnant women mainly reported internal facilitators for their willingness to participate in regular maternal exercise, while barriers were primarily related to inconveniences (such as insufficient time and difficulty combining with work/studies). The study addresses the positive association between achieving the recommended amount of exercise and social support in terms of exercising with others and getting advice from health professions. Because women respect their doctor and have regular prenatal checkups, this health care setting can play a pivotal role in the initiation and maintenance of exercise behavior during pregnancy.

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Influence of gestational weight gain on the nutritional status of offspring at birth and at 5 years of age

Feria-Ramirez,

Gonzalez-Sanz,

Molina-Luque

et al. 2024

Midwifery

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The weight of motherhood: Identifying obesity, gestational weight gain and physical activity level of Italian pregnant women

Cited by 9 publications

References 47 publications

The national, longitudinal NASCITA birth cohort study: prevalence of overweight or obesity at 12 months of age in children born healthy

The national, longitudinal NASCITA birth cohort study: prevalence of overweight or obesity at 12 months of age in children born healthy

Why do so many pregnant women give up exercise? An Italian cross-sectional study

Influence of gestational weight gain on the nutritional status of offspring at birth and at 5 years of age

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