Table 1.
Biological and sociodemographic characteristics of the sample according to gestational weight gain (GWG): prospective cohort of pregnant women (n 799), recruited in March–May 2011 at the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| Variable | Sample (%) | Mean GWG (kg) | Inadequate GWG (%) | Adequate GWG (%) | Excessive GWG (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI class | |||||
| Underweight (<18·5 kg/m2) | 4·4 | 15·8 | 14·3 | 42·9 | 42·9 |
| Normal weight (18·5–24·9 kg/m2)† | 64·7 | 16·4 | 10·1 | 32·1 | 57·8 |
| Overweight (25·0–29·9 kg/m2) | 20·5 | 16·0 | 6·1 | 12·8 | 81·1* |
| Obese (≥30·0 kg/m2) | 10·4 | 12·0* | 15·7 | 21·7 | 62·7 |
| Parity | |||||
| 0† | 52·8 | 16·9 | 7·3 | 26·3 | 66·4 |
| 1 | 29·8 | 15·2* | 9·7 | 30·7 | 59·7 |
| 2+ | 17·4 | 13·9* | 18·7* | 25·9 | 55·4* |
| Age | |||||
| 18–24 years | 8·4 | 15·6 | 9·0 | 31·3 | 59·7 |
| 25–29 years† | 24·5 | 16·6 | 8·2 | 25·5 | 66·3 |
| 30–34 years | 43·1 | 15·8 | 9·9 | 27·6 | 62·5 |
| 35+ years | 24·0 | 15·2* | 12·5 | 28·1 | 59·4 |
| Height | |||||
| <157 cm | 9·1 | 13·8* | 13·7 | 32·9 | 53·4* |
| 157–170 cm | 71·3 | 15·7* | 9·6 | 29·1 | 61·2* |
| >170 cm† | 19·5 | 17·2 | 9·6 | 19·2 | 71·2 |
| Marital status | |||||
| Married† | 63·8 | 16·0 | 9·6 | 27·5 | 62·9 |
| Single | 35·8 | 15·6 | 10·8 | 27·3 | 61·9 |
| Unknown | 0·4 | ||||
| Lives with baby’s father | |||||
| Yes† | 89·6 | 15·9 | 9·6 | 27·2 | 63·1 |
| No | 9·8 | 15·0 | 14·1 | 29·5 | 56·4 |
| Unknown | 0·6 | ||||
| Nationality | |||||
| Irish national† | 70·0 | 15·2 | 12·2 | 28·6 | 59·2 |
| Foreign national | 30·0 | 17·3* | 5·0* | 25·0 | 70·0* |
| Educational attainment | |||||
| <Second level | 5·3 | 13·2* | 16·7 | 26·2 | 57·1 |
| Second level completed | 11·6 | 16·0 | 6·5 | 28·0 | 65·6 |
| Vocational/training course | 35·7 | 15·6 | 10·5 | 27·0 | 62·5 |
| Degree/postgraduate† | 47·2 | 16·3 | 9·8 | 27·9 | 62·3 |
| Unknown | 0·3 | ||||
| Employment | |||||
| Not employed | 21·3 | 14·3* | 14·7* | 27·6 | 57·6 |
| Part-time employed | 15·0 | 15·0* | 10·8 | 30·8 | 58·3 |
| Full-time employed† | 63·6 | 16·6 | 8·3 | 26·8 | 65·0 |
| Unknown | 0·1 | ||||
| Pregnancy intention | |||||
| Intended† | 74·3 | 16·1 | 8·9 | 27·4 | 63·6 |
| Unintended | 25·2 | 15·1* | 13·4 | 27·9 | 58·7 |
| Unknown | 0·5 | ||||
| Health insurance | |||||
| Yes† | 55·4 | 16·2 | 10·0 | 27·2 | 62·8 |
| No | 43·8 | 15·3* | 9·8 | 28·6 | 61·6 |
| Unknown | 0·8 | ||||
*
P<0·05.
†
Reference category for univariable analysis of excessive and inadequate weight gain, respectively.