Table 4 Crude and multivariate odds ratio for parity, age and 18 dichotomous covariates using population specific cut-offs for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)
Odds ratio (95% CI)
BMI ⩾28.4 kg/m2WC ⩾87.7 cmWHR ⩾0.84WHtR ⩾0.55
CrudeMultivariateCrudeMultivariateCrudeMultivariateCrudeMultivariate
Parous vs nulliparous3.08 (2.64 to 3.59)*1.42 (1.18 to 1.72)*2.32 (2.02 to 2.66)*0.69 (0.57 to 0.84)*1.59 (1.39 to 1.81)*0.78 (0.65 to 0.94)*3.27 (2.86 to 3.75)*0.79 (0.65 to 0.96)*
Age (years)1.03 (1.03 to 1.04)*1.02 (1.01 to 1.02)*1.04 (1.04 to 1.05)*1.03 (1.02 to 1.03)*1.03 (1.03 to 1.03)*1.02 (1.02 to 1.03)*1.06 (1.06 to 1.07)*1.03 (1.02 to 1.03)*
Low education† (yes/no)2.25 (2.03 to 2.49)*1.47 (1.30 to 1.67)*3.68 (3.32 to 4.10)*2.46 (2.17 to 2.80)*2.28 (2.06 to 2.53)*1.53 (1.35 to 1.74)*4.08 (3.65 to 4.56)*2.48 (2.18 to 2.82)*
Low income‡ (yes/no)1.20 (1.09 to 1.33)*1.08 (0.97 to 1.22)1.10 (1.00 to 1.22)0.88 (0.79 to 1.00)1.22 (1.10 to 1.35)*1.09 (0.97 to 1.22)1.23 (1.11 to 1.36)*1.06 (0.94 to 1.19)
Employed (yes/no)0.88 (0.78 to 0.99)*1.24 (1.09 to 1.42)*0.80 (0.71 to 0.90)*1.17 (1.02 to 1.33)*0.75 (0.67 to 0.84)*0.92 (0.81 to 1.04)0.82 (0.73 to 0.92)*1.14 (0.99 to 1.30)
Married (yes/no)2.15 (1.92 to 2.41)*1.28 (1.11 to 1.47)*2.39 (2.14 to 2.67)*1.43 (1.23 to 1.65)*1.73 (1.56 to 1.92)*1.20 (1.04 to 1.38)*2.82 (2.53 to 3.14)*1.49 (1.29 to 1.73)*
Daily smoker (yes/no)0.93 (0.83 to 1.04)1.16 (1.00 to 1.35)0.88 (0.79 to 0.99)*1.23 (1.06 to 1.42)*1.21 (1.08 to 1.35)*1.48 (1.28 to 1.70)*0.81 (0.73 to 0.91)*1.29 (1.11 to 1.49)*
Smoking cessation (yes/no)1.11 (1.00 to 1.22)1.16 (1.02 to 1.32)*1.15 (1.04 to 1.27)*1.25 (1.10 to 1.43)*0.89 (0.81 to 0.99)1.03 (0.91 to 1.16)1.25 (1.13 to 1.39)*1.47 (1.28 to 1.68)*
Heavy drinker (yes/no)1.07 (0.89 to 1.28)*1.23 (1.01 to 1.50)*1.03 (0.86 to 1.23)1.18 (0.96 to 1.44)1.09 (0.91 to 1.30)1.07 (0.89 to 1.30)0.98 (0.82 to 1.17)1.10 (0.90 to 1.35)
Hypertension (yes/no)2.04 (1.83 to 2.28)*1.16 (1.01 to 1.33)*2.78 (2.49 to 3.11)*1.38 (1.20 to 1.58)*2.11 (1.89 to 2.36)*1.49 (1.30 to 1.70)*3.87 (3.41 to 4.39)*1.26 (1.09 to 1.44)*
Diabetes (yes/no)2.84 (2.25 to 3.59)*2.33 (1.80 to 3.01)*3.10 (2.42 to 3.97)*2.20 (1.66 to 2.91)*2.42 (1.89 to 3.10)*1.73 (1.32 to 2.26)*2.99 (2.27 to 3.95)*1.90 (1.43 to 2.53)*
Dyslipidaemia (yes/no)2.42 (2.07 to 2.82)*1.84 (1.56 to 2.17)*2.10 (1.80 to 2.45)*1.39 (1.16 to 1.65)*2.18 (1.86 to 2.56)*1.78 (1.50 to 2.12)*3.09 (2.58 to 3.71)*1.46 (1.22 to 1.75)*
Parents obesity (yes/no)1.29 (1.16 to 1.44)*1.28 (1.14 to 1.44)*1.12 (1.01 to 1.25)*1.10 (0.97 to 1.24)1.30 (1.17 to 1.45)*1.37 (1.22 to 1.54)*1.13 (1.02 to 1.26)*1.01 (0.90 to 1.15)
Menarche¶ (yes/no)1.19 (1.03 to 1.36)*1.16 (1.00 to 1.34)1.08 (0.94 to 1.24)1.10 (0.95 to 1.29)0.73 (0.64 to 0.84)*0.77 (0.66 to 0.89)*1.25 (1.08 to 1.44)*1.01 (0.86 to 1.19)
Birth control pill (yes/no)0.76 (0.64 to 0.91)0.80 (0.66 to 0.98)*0.73 (0.62 to 0.87)*0.82 (0.68 to 1.00)1.02 (0.86 to 1.21)1.11 (0.92 to 1.33)0.76 (0.64 to 0.90)*0.64 (0.53 to 0.78)*
Fetal macrosomia§ (yes/no)2.26 (1.97 to 2.60)*1.92 (1.66 to 2.23)*2.31 (2.00 to 2.66)*1.71 (1.46 to 2.00)*1.56 (1.36 to 1.80)*1.22 (1.10 to 1.42)*2.44 (2.08 to 2.86)*1.69 (1.44 to 1.99)*
AHT during pregnancy (yes/no)1.62 (1.44 to 1.83)*1.62 (1.42 to 1.86)*1.56 (1.38 to 1.76)*1.63 (1.42 to 1.88)*0.78 (0.69 to 0.88)*0.72 (0.63 to 0.82)*1.22 (1.07 to 1.38)*1.55 (1.35 to 1.79)*
Gestational diabetes (yes/no)0.69 (0.51 to 0.93)*0.58 (0.42 to 0.81)*1.31 (0.98 to 1.76)1.26 (0.91 to 1.75)1.14 (0.85 to 1.53)1.28 (0.93 to 1.76)1.45 (1.05 to 2.01)*0.92 (0.66 to 1.27)
Menopause status (yes/no)1.97 (1.75 to 2.23)*0.78 (0.64 to 0.94)*2.85 (2.51 to 3.23)*0.78 (0.64 to 0.95)*2.03 (1.80 to 2.30)*0.76 (0.62 to 0.92)*4.26 (3,67 to 4.95)*0.93 (0.76 to 1.14)
HRT (yes/no)1.50 (1.24 to 1.83)*1.04 (0.85 to 1.29)1.69 (1.38 to 2.05)*1.04 (0.84 to 1.29)1.00 (0.83 to 1.22)0.71 (0.58 to 0.88)*1.47 (1.20 to 1.81)*1.02 (0.82 to 1.27)

  • AHT, arterial hypertension; HRT, postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.

  • *p<0.05.

  • †Education <8 years.

  • ‡Income <$3000.

  • ¶<12 years.

  • §Fetal macrosomia (birth weight greater than 4000 g).