Body composition changes 6-month postpartum and associated factors among women who delivered in Jimma University Specialized Hospital: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Back ground: Postpartum mothers with excessive gestational weight gain are at risk of weight retention. However evidence is limited in this area. So far the extent to which the body composition changes during postpartum persists and predictors of these changes have not been documented in the Ethiopian women. Generating this evidence will help to design relevant interventions. Objective: To determine maternal body composition changes at 6- month postpartum assessed by bioimpedance analysis and associated factors. Methodology: We used data from a study of body composition (BC) in mother-infant pairs conducted in Jimma University Specialized Hospital from January 2009 to June 2011. BC i.e. fat mass (FM, kg) and fat-free mass (FFM, kg) was assessed using whole-body bioimpedance analysis. Women were enrolled by consecutive sampling method. Data was double entered using EpiData version 3.1and analyzed using STATA version 12. Multivariable linear regression was performed to identify predictors of BC at 6 month postpartum. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 317 women who completed the six month follow-up were included in this analysis. The mean ±SD age of the women was 24.3±4.6 years and 163 (51.7%) women were primiparous. At the 6 month, 105 (33.2%) infants had exclusive breast feeding (EBF). Weight (kg), BMI (kg/m2) and FFM at 6th month were lower than the delivery values (p < 0.001). In contrast, FM difference was seen only in the legs (p=0.02). MUAC at delivery and 6-month did not differ. Older age (ß=0.12kg, 95% CI, 0.02, 0.21) and higher weight at delivery (ß= 1.3, 95% CI 0.83, 1.68) increased fat retention at 6-month. But single (ß= -3.5, 95% CI -5.62,-1.32) and women who were not earning regular money (ß=-1.4, 95% CI -2.25,-0.45) had lower fat retention. Higher FFM (ß=0.47, 95% CI 0.22, 0.71) and FM (ß= 0.29, 95% CI 0.08, 0.50) at