ºÚÁÏÍø

Abstract

Over 54% of currently non-pregnant women aged 18-45 in Central Pennsylvania are overweight or obese. To examine the overall health effects in women, the Central Pennsylvania Women?s Health Study (CePAWHS) had 2,002 women aged 18-45 complete a Random Digit Dial (RDD) general population telephone interview on their health status and health risk indicators for adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study of the CePAWHS population examined the correlates of overweight and obesity in a unique sample of reproductive-age women. The survey measured a large number of health-related variables including pregnancy history. This study also considered whether the definition of obesity affects the identification of correlates. Telephone interview participants were categorized as normal overweight or obese according to the BMI index and analyzed as BMI continuous. ANOVA and Chi-square tests were used to examine differences between BMI continuous and categorical variables. Odds ratios from logistic regression models and linear regression from ANCOVA were used to examine cross-sectional associations of the BMI continuous and categorical. Of the population, 27% were overweight and 25% obese using the BMI index and had a mean BMI of 26.99±6.95. Other variables analyzed included environmental factors, pregnancy outcomes, and health habits and conditions. This research found that obesity in reproductive-age women is associated with a variety of environmental and health-related factors.

Biography

Nathaniel Geyer is a current Ph. D student at Walden University. He also earned a Masters Degree from Penn State University where he is currently employed full time.