Skin color and marital status influence postpartum weight retention among Brazilian adolescents

We identify epidemiological predictors of postpartum weight retention, including skin color and marital status, among Brazilian adolescents. A cohort study with 4 follow-up time points at 0.5, 2, 6, and 9 months postpartum was conducted in a primary health care center located at the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One hundred five adolescents aged 15 to 19 years participated in the study. Postpartum weight retention was calculated as the difference between the weight measured at each visit and the prepregnancy weight. We estimate the statistical associations between the outcome variable and potential explanatory covariates of interest by fitting a multivariate longitudinal mixed-effects model. Most adolescents live with a partner (53.3%); 37.1% are single, and 9.6% are married. The adolescents are predominantly of mixed (48.6%) and white (28.6%) color. Postpartum weight retention decreased from 4.9 to 2.8 kg. Single and mixed skin color women return faster to their previous prepregnancy weight. Only marital status (married/single, coefficient = −2.0547 [SE, 0.7505]; P = .0074) (married/with partner, coefficient = −0.9403 [SE, 0.3425]; P = .0072) and skin color (black/mixed, coefficient = −1.3378 [SE, 0.5179]; P = .0113) achieved statistical significance to remain in the final longitudinal regression model. In conclusion, the results have shown that younger, married, and black adolescents are at higher risk of developing maternal obesity as a consequence of increasing postpartum weight retention. The results presented herein provide empirical evidence supporting the need to put in practice health policies aimed at preventing postpartum weight retention among adolescents and the associated side effects.