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cohort·epidemiology, public health, obstetrics and gynecology, endocrinology·PMC10101483

Exploring the associations between number of children, multi-partner fertility and risk of obesity at midlife: Findings from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

PLOS ONE · 6 authors, 6 centres

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TL;DR

It found that in unadjusted models, mothers with multi-partner fertility had higher odds of obesity at age 46, but this association was completely attenuated after adjusting for confounders.

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Obesity was defined as BMI ≥30 at age 46. Analyses used logistic regression with multiple imputation, adjusting for confounders from birth, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. For fathers, no significant associations were found.

STUDY TYPE

cohort

SPECIALTY

epidemiology

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10101483

Exploring the associations between number of children, multi-partner fertility and risk of obesity at midlife: Findings from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

PLOS ONE

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background Early parenthood, high parity, and partnership separation are associated with obesity. However, the emergence of non-marital partnerships, serial partnering and childbearing across unions, means that it is important to consider their association to obesity. This paper examined the associations between number of biological children and multi-partner fertility (MPF)—defined as having biological children with more than one partner, with obesity at midlife. Method The sample consisted of 2940 fathers and 3369 mothers in the 1970 British Cohort Study. The outcome was obesity (BMI 30 or over) at age 46. Fertility and partnership histories ascertained the number of live biological children and MPF status by age 42. The associations were tested using logistic regression adjusting for confounders at birth, age 10 and age 16. Adult factors recorded at age 42 including age at first birth, smoking status, alcohol dependency, educational attainment and housing tenure were considered as mediators. Results For fathers, obesity odds did not differ according to number of children or MPF. In unadjusted models, mothers with one child (OR 1.24 95%CI 1.01–1.51), mothers who had two children with two partners (OR 1.45 95%CI 1.05–1.99), and mothers who had three or more children with two or more partners (OR 1.51 95%CI 1.18–1.93) had higher odds of obesity. In adjusted models, there remained an association between mothers with one child and odds of obesity (OR 1.30 95%CI 1.05–1.60). All other associations were attenuated when confounders were included. Conclusions Mothers who had children with multiple partners had higher odds of obesity. However this association was completely attenuated when parental and child confounders were accounted for; suggesting that this association may be explained by confounding. Mothers who had one child only may be at increased odds of obesity, however this could be due to multiple factors including age at first birth.

CITATION EXPORT

Sebastian Stannard, Ann Berrington, Nisreen A Alwan et al.. Exploring the associations between number of children, multi-partner fertility and risk of obesity at midlife: Findings from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). PLOS ONE. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282795

AUTHORS

6 · 6 CENTRES

Sebastian Stannard, Ann Berrington, Nisreen A Alwan, Emily W Harville, Emily W Harville, Emily W Harville

1Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
2ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
3Faculty of Medicine, School of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
4NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
5NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, United Kingdom
6Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, UNITED STATES