Fatores associados com a retenção e o ganho de peso pós-parto: uma revisão sistemática Risk factors associated with postpartum weight gain and retention: a systematic review

INTRODUÇÃO: A retenção de peso após o parto é um dos determinantes da obesidade em mulheres. Seu desenvolvimento está relacionado com o ganho de peso gestacional, paridade, idade, situação marital, consumo energético, atividade física e lactação, mas as associações encontradas têm se mostrado inconclusivas e contraditórias. Objetivos: Avaliar estudos que identificaram fatores preditores da retenção e ganho de peso após o parto. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma revisão de literatura na Base de Dados LILACS e MEDLINE, referente aos anos de 1993 a 2003. RESULTADOS: Vinte e oito artigos foram identificados, sendo 23 estudos de coorte, quatro estudos transversais e um estudo caso-controle. A maioria dos estudos foi realizada nos EUA e o tempo de acompanhamento após o parto ocorreu principalmente entre seis semanas e 24 meses. Cerca de 25% dos estudos apresentaram perdas superiores a 30%, 61% incluíram adolescentes na amostra e 75% não aferiram o peso pré-gestacional. Sete estudos foram considerados de melhor qualidade, pois utilizaram o peso pré-gestacional medido, incluíram grupo de comparação, excluíram adolescentes, apresentaram perdas de seguimento inferiores a 30% e controlaram para variáveis de confundimento. CONCLUSÃO: Ganho de peso gestacional, raça negra e paridade estão associados positivamente com a retenção de peso pós-parto. As evidências são contraditórias para a variável lactação e insuficientes para as variáveis consumo alimentar e atividade física. São necessários estudos cuidadosamente desenhados para esclarecer estas questões.<br>BACKGROUND: Postpartum weight retention is a trigger for developing obesity in women. It is often associated with weight gain during pregnancy, parity, age, marital status, food intake, physical activity and lactation. However, the associations found have proven to be inconclusive or contradictory. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this review was to study risk factors associated with postpartum weight gain and retention. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature between January 1993 and June 2003 was performed through Medline and LILACS databases. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were found: 23 cohort studies, four cross-sectional studies and one case-control study. Most studies were performed in the US and the postpartum follow-up time was mainly between six weeks and 24 months. Twenty five percent of the studies had loss to follow-up above 30%, 61% included adolescents and 75% used self-reported pregravid body weights. The most reliable results came from seven studies, whose strengths were: use of measured pregravid body weight and comparison groups, exclusion of adolescents, loss to follow-up rates below 30% and adequate control for confounders. CONCLUSION: Gestational weight gain, black women and parity are positively associated with postpartum weight retention. The effect of lactation on weight retention is still controversial and there is lack of evidence on physical activity and food intake. Improved longitudinal studies are needed to clarify theses issues

Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy predictors of obesity.

Obesity has progressively become a global epidemic that constitutes one of the biggest current health problems worldwide. Pregnancy is a risk factor for excessive weight gain. Factors that may predict development of obesity in later life mainly include gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy nutritional status, age, parity and race. Change in lifestyle factors, such as eating habits, enrollment in physical activity, smoking and duration of lactation, in addition to the above factors, may also contribute to the development of obesity but are still not fully understood. Women who retain more body weight after pregnancy have, in general, larger pregnancy body weight gain, higher pre-pregnancy body mass index, marked weight changes in previous pregnancies, lactate slightly less and stop smoking during pregnancy to a larger extent. In addition, irregular eating habits and decreased leisure time activity after delivery influence postpartum weight retention. Taking into consideration the epidemic of obesity, with all its adverse long-term consequences, there is an increasing need to promote counseling before, during and after pregnancy on the role of diet and physical activity in reproductive health