TABLE 1.
Characteristics of pregnant women overall and by prepregnancy BMI category1
| Prepregnancy BMI category | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Prepregnancy nonobese (n = 29) | Prepregnancy obese (n = 21) | Overall (n = 50) | P value |
| Race, % (n) | 0.11 | |||
| Non-Hispanic black | 38 (11) | 67 (11) | 50 (25) | |
| Hispanic | 28 (8) | 23 (5) | 26 (13) | |
| Non-Hispanic white | 28 (8) | 5 (1) | 18 (9) | |
| Other/unknown | 6 (2) | 5 (1) | 6 (3) | |
| Relationship status, % (n) | 0.01 | |||
| Single not living with significant other | 17 (5) | 62 (13) | 36 (18) | |
| Single but living with significant other | 48 (14) | 24 (5) | 38 (19) | |
| Married | 35 (10) | 14 (3) | 26 (13) | |
| Employment, % (n) | 0.78 | |||
| Employed | 62 (18) | 52 (11) | 58 (29) | |
| Unemployed | 24 (7) | 29 (6) | 26 (13) | |
| Other (homemaker/student) | 14 (4) | 19 (4) | 16 (8) | |
| Education, % (n) | 0.05 | |||
| High school or less | 28 (8) | 33 (7) | 30 (15) | |
| Some college | 28 (8) | 52 (11) | 38 (19) | |
| College and beyond | 44 (13) | 15 (3) | 32 (16) | |
| Receiving WIC, % (n) | 0.13 | |||
| Yes | 45 (13) | 67 (14) | 54 (27) | |
| Receiving SNAP, % (n) | 0.99 | |||
| Yes | 38 (11) | 38 (8) | 38 (19) | |
| Maternal age, y | 27.6 ± 6.8 | 25.2 ± 6.3 | 26.6 ± 6.7 | 0.21 |
| Gravida | 2 ± 1.2 | 2.6 ± 1.6 | 2.2 ± 1.4 | 0.16 |
| Gestational age at baseline, wk | 32.6 ± 0.8 | 32.8 ± 0.7 | 32.7 ± 0.7 | 0.33 |
| Maternal prepregnancy BMI, kg/m2 (self-report) | 23.1 ± 2.7 | 35.1 ± 5.0 | 28.1 ± 7.1 | <0.0001 |
| Maternal BMI at baseline, kg/m2 | 27.0 ± 6.7 | 37.8 ± 4.5 | 32.2 ± 7.6 | <0.0001 |
| Rate of weight gain, kg/wk | 0.5 ± 0.9 | 0.3 ± 2 | 0.3 ± 1.5 | 0.03 |
| Total dietary iron, mg/1000 kcal, median (IQR) | 23.3 (11.9) | 19.9 (13.2) | 20.3 (14.4) | 0.19 |
| Food iron, mg/1000 kcal | 7.6 ± 3.0 | 6.6 ± 1.8 | 7.2 ± 2.6 | 0.15 |
1
Values are means ± SDs, medians (IQRs), or % (n) unless otherwise indicated. The Student's t test was used for normally distributed variables, the Wilcoxon rank-sum for nonnormally distributed continuous variables, and the chi-square and Fisher's exact test for categoric variables to analyze differences between the groups. All comparisons were nonsignificant at P > 0.05. SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; WG, weeks of gestation; WIC, Women Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program.