Associations of diet and physical activity during pregnancy with risk for excessive gestational weight gain

Objective

We sought to identify modifiable risk factors for excessive gestational weight gain (GWG).

Study Design

We assessed associations of diet and physical activity with excessive GWG among 1388 women from the Project Viva cohort study.

Results

Three hundred seventy-nine women (27%) were overweight (body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m²) and 703 (51%) experienced excessive GWG, according to Institute of Medicine guidelines. In multivariable logistic regression models, we found that intake of total energy (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.22, per 500 kcal/d), dairy (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.17, per serving per day), and fried foods (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 0.91-13.24, per serving per day) were directly associated with excessive GWG. First trimester vegetarian diet (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28-0.78) and midpregnancy walking (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.83-1.01, per 30 minutes per day) and vigorous physical activity (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.60-0.97, per 30 minutes per day) were inversely associated with excessive GWG.

Conclusion

A healthful diet and greater physical activity are associated with reduced risk for excessive GWG.

Key words: diet, obesity, physical activity, pregnancy, weight gain