Table 1.
Characteristics of women categorized by their time since childbirth.
| Characteristic | Early Postpartum | Late Postpartum | Women >12 Months Post Childbirth | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (0–6 Months) | (7–12 Months) | n = 3434 | ||
| n = 558 | n = 547 | |||
| Age (years) | 33.6 (1.4) | 33.6 (1.4) | 34.0 (1.4) | <0.001 * |
| Smoking status | 519 (93.2) | 499 (91.4) | 2854 (83.2) | <0.001 * |
| Non-smoker | 38 (6.8) | 47 (8.6) | 575 (16.8) | |
| Smoker | 71.2 (15.3) | 70.7 (15.1) | 71.7 (16.7) | |
| Weight (kg) | 25.9 (5.2) | 25.6 (2.3) | 26.2 (5.9) | 0.386 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 0.023 **** | |||
| Underweight (<18.5) | 4 (0.73) | 12 (2.2) | 96 (2.9) | |
| Normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) | 280 (50.9) | 286 (53.1) | 1647 (49.1) | |
| Overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2) | 164 (29.8) | 136 (25.2) | 900 (26.8) | |
| Obese (≥30 kg/m2) | 102 (18.6) | 105 (19.5) | 710 (21.2) | |
| Country of birth | 0.206 | |||
| Australian born | 528 (95.3) | 503 (92.8) | 3198 (93.7) | |
| Overseas born | 26 (4.7) | 39 (7.2) | 216 (6.3) | |
| Personal annual income | <0.001 ** | |||
| No income | 97 (19.5) | 99 (19.8) | 341 (11.0) | |
| Low ($AUD > 0–36,399) | 217 (43.7) | 256 (51.3) | 1786 (57.4) | |
| Medium ($AUD 36,400–77,999) | 138 (27.8) | 96 (19.2) | 783 (25.1) | |
| High ($AUD > 77,999) | 45 (9.1) | 48 (9.6) | 204 (6.6) | |
| Education | <0.001 * | |||
| No formal /high school | 78 (14.2) | 93 (17.2) | 984 (29.5) | |
| Trade/diploma | 126 (23) | 133 (24.6) | 1018 (30.5) | |
| Degree | 344 (62.8) | 315 (58.2) | 1333 (40) | |
| Occupation | <0.001 * | |||
| No paid job | 231 (41.9) | 220 (40.7) | 849 (25.4) | |
| Clerical trade | 32 (5.8) | 48 (8.9) | 799 (23.9) | |
| Assoc. professional | 63 (11.4) | 73 (13.5) | 588 (17.6) | |
| Professional | 225 (40.8) | 199 (36.9) | 1113 (33.2) | |
| Employment | <0.001 ** | |||
| Unemployed | 331 (59.3) | 244 (44.7) | 722 (21.1) | |
| Volunteer | 55 (9.9) | 70 (12.8) | 295 (8.6) | |
| Employed | 172 (30.8) | 232 (42.5) | 2403 (70.3) | |
| Marital status | <0.001 * | |||
| Married/defacto | 546 (98) | 529 (96.7) | 2990 (87.4) | |
| Not married | 11 (2) | 18 (3.3) | 433 (12.7) | |
| Breastfeeding | <0.001 ** | |||
| Not currently breastfeeding | 428 (76.8) | 462 (84.8) | 3397 (99) | |
| Currently breastfeeding | 129 (23.2) | 83 (15.2) | 35 (1) | |
| Number of children | <0.001 * | |||
| 1 | 214 (38.4) | 201 (36.8) | 841 (24.5) | |
| 2 | 344 (61.6) | 346 (63.3) | 2593 (75.5) | |
| Physical activity (MetMin) | 555.1 (668.4) | 669.8 (731.3) | 795.4 (1039.2) | <0.001 **** |
| Vitamin/mineral supplement use | <0.001 ** | |||
| Never | 27 (4.8) | 40 (7.3) | 707 (20.6) | |
| Rarely | 31 (5.6) | 68 (12.4) | 631 (18.4) | |
| Sometimes | 110 (19.7) | 143 (26.1) | 930 (27.1) | |
| Often | 390 (69.9) | 296 (54.1) | 1161 (33.9) |
Data are presented as mean (standard deviation) for continuous variables and frequency and percentage (%) for categorical variables. Data were analyzed by ANOVA for continuous variables (age, physical activity, weight, body mass index (BMI)) and chi square tests for categorical variables. Body mass index (BMI); metabolic equivalent value (MetMin). * Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between early postpartum compared to women >12 months post childbirth and late postpartum compared to women > 12 months post childbirth. ** Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between all three groups. *** Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between early postpartum compared to late postpartum and early postpartum compared to women > 12 months post childbirth. **** Statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between early postpartum compared to women >12 months post childbirth.