Background: The body mass index (BMI) categories for Asian Indians has been revised based on consensus guidelines. The revised guidelines categorize overweight as a BMI of 23.0 - 24.9 and obesity as a BMI≥25.
Aim: To determine the change in prevalence of overweight and obese pregnant women, and maternal and fetal associations with overweight and obese pregnant women classified using the revised consensus guidelines for BMI in Asian Indians.
Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of case records of pregnant women between January 2010 and December 2012 at a tertiary care institute in India. BMI was classified using the revised consensus guidelines for Asian Indians and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The strength and direction of associations with maternal and fetal outcomes was explored with a multivariate regression model.
Results: The prevalence of obesity increased from 11.81% with the WHO criteria to 43.11% with the revised consensus guidelines and led to the re-classification of 1,345 (18.47%) pregnant women from a low risk category to a high risk category.Gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes and large for gestational age babies was associated with overweight or obesity (both Indian and WHO guidelines). Obesity (both Indian and WHO guidelines) was also significantly associated with caesarean sections (adjusted OR 1.23 and 1.51 respectively).
Conclusion: The use of the revised guidelines led to a larger classification of high risk Asian Indian pregnant women. Retention of adverse associations of overweight and obesity support adoption of the revised guidelines in obstetric management of Asian Indians.
Keywords: Body mass index; Guidelines; Obesity; Overweight; Pregnancy.