The association between caesarean section delivery and later life obesity in 21-24 year olds in an Urban South African birth cohort

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221379
• Publication Date: 2019-11-14T13:38:00Z
• Authors: Eniola Sogunle; Gwinyai Masukume; Gill Nelson
• Keywords: Male; 2. Zero hunger; Cesarean Section; Science; Q; R; Infant, Newborn; 3. Good health; Cohort Studies; South Africa; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; 11. Sustainability; Medicine; Humans; Female; Obesity; Prospective Studies; Research Article; Retrospective Studies

Background Obesity is an important public health problem and rates have reached epidemic proportions in many countries. Studies explored the association between infants delivered by caesarean section their later life risk of obesity, countries outside Africa. As a result increasing obesity South Africa, we investigated this country. Methods This was retrospective analysis data that were collected from prospective African birth cohort (Birth to Twenty Plus), established 1990. A total 889 young adults aged 21–24 years included analysis. Poisson regression models fitted assess mode delivery early adulthood obesity. Results Of adults, 106 (11.9%) obese while 72 (8.1%) section; which 14 (19.4%) obese. Caesarean significantly associated with after adjusting for potential confounders like adults' sex weight, mothers' parity, education (incidence rate ratio 1.64, 95% CI 1.01–2.68, p = 0.045). Conclusion The should be interpreted caution because on certain key confounding factors such as pre-pregnancy body mass index gestational diabetes not available. Further research larger sample sizes databases useful linking maternal infant data, conducted.