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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Trop Med Int Health. 2020 Mar 23;25(6):702–713. doi: 10.1111/tmi.13387

Table 3.

Association between adverse birth outcomes and BMI in the overall cohort

N (%)
N = 2921
Unadjusted Models Adjusted Models
OR (95% CI) p-value aOR (95% CI) p-value
Delivery GA (weeks)
Spontaneous PTD (<37 weeks GA) 293 (10.0)
Normal 102 (12.4) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 16 (19.0) 1.71 (0.95, 3.09) 0.076 1.69 (0.70, 4.11) 0.244
Overweight 75 (10.5) 0.87 (0.63, 1.19) 0.381 0.96 (0.62, 1.49) 0.870
Obese 100 (7.7) 0.63 (0.47, 0.85) 0.002 0.65 (0.43, 0.99) 0.043
Provider-Initiated PTD (<37 weeks GA) 188 (6.4)
Normal 40 (4.9) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 4 (4.8) 1.09 (0.38, 3.15) 0.874 1.54 (0.34, 6.95) 0.572
Overweight 47 (6.6) 1.39 (0.89, 2.14) 0.144 1.37 (0.68, 2.76) 0.377
Obese 97 (7.5) 1.56 (1.07, 2.29) 0.022 1.74 (0.94, 3.21) 0.077
Birth weight (g)
Low (<2500) 385 (13.2)
Normal 129 (15.7) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 16 (19.1) 1.29 (0.72, 2.30) 0.394 1.16 (0.57, 2.37) 0.688
Overweight 93 (13.0) 0.84 (0.63, 1.12) 0.232 0.79 (0.56, 1.12) 0.187
Obese 147 (11.3) 0.71 (0.55, 0.92) 0.009 0.60 (0.44, 0.82) 0.001
High (>4000) 125 (4.3)
Normal 20 (2.4) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 2 (2.4) 1.04 (0.24, 4.54) 0.961 0.69 (0.09, 5.42) 0.722
Overweight 33 (4.6) 1.92 (0.09, 3.38) 0.024 2.14 (1.09, 4.18) 0.027
Obese 70 (5.4) 2.19 (1.32, 3.63) 0.002 2.54 (1.39, 4.66) 0.002
Size for GA (centile)
Small (<10th) 362 (12.3)
Normal 124 (15.1) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 17 (20.2) 1.64 (0.91, 2.94) 0.100 1.63 (0.81, 3.30) 0.173
Overweight 103 (14.4) 1.02 (0.77, 1.36) 0.886 0.98 (0.70, 1.37) 0.903
Obese 118 (9.1) 0.63 (0.48, 0.83) 0.001 0.57 (0.41, 0.79) 0.001
Large (>90th) 378 (12.9)
Normal 81 (9.9) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 8 (9.5) 1.18 (0.54, 2.58) 0.681 1.15 (0.46, 2.87) 0.760
Overweight 79 (11.0) 1.20 (0.86, 1.67) 0.285 1.27 (0.87, 1.87) 0.221
Obese 210 (16.2) 1.72 (1.31, 2.27) <0.001 1.66 (1.20, 2.31) 0.002
Pregnancy outcome
Stillbirth/Miscarriage 91 (3.1)
Normal 22 (2.7) 1.00 1.00
Underweight 2 (2.4) 0.88 (0.20, 3.82) 0.866 0.56 (0.07, 4.23) 0.575
Overweight 31 (4.3) 1.64 (0.94, 2.86) 0.082 0.63 (0.30, 1.31) 0.219
Obese 36 (2.8) 1.04 (0.61, 1.78) 0.891 0.67 (0.37, 1.23) 0.192

OR - odds ratio, GA - gestational age, PTD - preterm delivery

Preterm model: adjusted for maternal age, HIV status, haemoglobin, parity, previous PTD

Birth weight, size for GA and birth outcome models: adjusted for maternal age, HIV status, haemoglobin and parity. Missing data, n (%): GA at delivery n=232 (7.9), Birthweight n=49 (1.7), Size for GA n=232 (7.9), Pregnancy outcome n=16 (0.6). Where data are missing on outcomes, cases were excluded on the regression. Interpretation of OR’s: Compared to normal BMI, underweight/overweight/obese BMI increases (OR>1) or decreases (OR<1) the likelihood of having spontaneous PTD/PI-PTD/LBW/HBW/SGA/LGA/Stillbirth/Miscarriage