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. 2017 Oct 26;359:j4511. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j4511

Table 2.

Details of associations supported by strong evidence in meta-analyses of cohort studies on obesity and risk of obstetric and gynaecological morbidity. Outcomes are incidences unless stated otherwise. All statistical tests were two sided

Exposure Outcome No of studies Sample size (cases/cohort RR (95% CI) of largest study Random effects summary RR (95% CI)* Random P value 95% prediction interval 10% credibility RR (95% CI)* Egger’s P I2 (%) Excess significance§
O/E P value
Gynaecological oncology
WHR per 0.1 units Endometrial CA 5 2447/394 340 1.33 (1.18 to 1.51) 1.21 (1.13 to 1.29) 1.0−8 1.09 to 1.34 1.17 (1.04 to 1.31) 0.54 0 3/4.4 NA
BMI per 5kg/m2 increase Endometrial CA PrMP 6 5981/2 558 935 1.53 (1.48 to 1.58) 1.49 (1.39 to 1.61) 3.1−27 1.27 to 1.76 1.36 (1.11 to 1.67) 0.56 20 5/4.2 0.67
BMI >30 v <25 Ovarian CA 13 6947/20 560 388 1.27 (1.19 to 1.36) 1.27 (1.17 to 1.38) 2.6−8 1.09 to 1.47 1.16 (1.02 to 1.30) 0.88 12 3/5.3 NA
Obstetric, fetal
BMI 30-40 v <25 Apgar <7 at 1 minute 4 16 187/230 884 1.27 (1.22 to 1.32) 1.29 (1.23 to 1.36) <1−100 1.10 to 1.52 1.28 (1.06 to 1.56) 0.51 20 4/3.9 1.00
BMI >40 v < 5 Apgar <7 at 1 minute 3 9958/153 104 1.63 (1.52 to 1.74) 1.63 (1.53 to 1.74) <1−100 1.08 to 2.47 1.64 (1.06 to 2.55) 0.62 0 3/3.0 1.00
GWG high v normal Macrosomia risk: >4000 g 11 25 985/401 803 2.00 (1.90 to 2.10) 2.08 (1.92 to 2.26) <1−100 1.72 to 2.52 2.06 (1.46 to 2.92) 0.14 41 9/11.0 NA
Obstetric, maternal
BMI >30 v <25 Antenatal depression risk 23 6370/46 182 1.48 (1.32 to 1.67) 1.48 (1.32 to 1.66 1.3−11 1.07 to 2.05 1.30 (1.13 to 1.49) 0.97 39 7/12.0 NA
BMI >30 v <25 Caesarean section-emergency 6 2301/18 749 1.51 (1.21 to 1.89) 1.63 (1.40 to 1.89) 4.0−10 1.31 to 2.02 1.63 (1.15 to 2.31) 0.29 0 5/3.9 0.67
BMI >30 v <25 Caesarean section-total 16 8413/62 277 2.02 (1.79 to 2.28) 2.00 (1.87 to 2.15) <1−100 1.86 to 2.16 1.86 (1.45 to 2.39) 0.66 0 12/14.5 NA
BMI 25-30 v <25 Pre-eclampsia (adjusted)** 12 30 001/1 091 624 1.74 (1.69 to 1.80) 1.70 (1.60 to 1.81) <1−100 1.49 to 1.95 1.59 (1.26 to 2.01) 0.38 29 10/10.8 NA
BMI >35 v <25 Pre-eclampsia (adjusted)** 5 12 614/901 409 4.28 (3.48 to 5.26) 4.14 (3.61 to 4.75) <1−100 3.32 to 5.17 3.96 (1.54 to 10.2) 0.84 0 5/5.0 1.00

BMI=body mass index; WHR=waist to hip ratio; CA=cancer; NA=not applicable, because estimated number is larger than observed, and there is no evidence of excess significance based on assumption made for plausible effect size; PrMP=premenopausal; GWG=gestational weight gain.

*From random effects model. RR for categorical outcome measure.

†P value of summary random effects estimate.

‡From Egger’s regression asymmetry test.

§Expected number of significant studies with point estimate of largest study (smallest SE) as plausible effect size. O/E=observed/expected number of studies with significant results. P value for excess significance test.

¶Person years.

**Estimate based on studies that used adjusted risk estimates