Postpartum Maternal Weight Changes: Implications for Military Women.
Abstract
Maintaining physical readiness to meet demands of combat conditions is of utmost importance for active duty military personnel. As growing numbers of women of childbearing age enter active duty military service, the numbers of pregnancies among female military personnel will also increase. Thus, understanding the impact of pregnancy on subsequent fitness of postpartum active duty women becomes imperative. This project will describe the pattern of maternal weight loss after delivery in a large group of active duty and military dependent women, compare differences in weight loss by maternal characteristics, and identify characteristics of women who are most likely to become permanently overweight or obese as a result of childbearing. The study group will include 4000 women who bring their infants for pediatric care at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego. Postpartum weight will be measured at intervals ranging from 3 days to 12 months after birth. Data on prenatal factors, lifestyle behaviors, physical activity, work and other maternal characteristics will be collected by questionnaire and through abstraction of medical records. Analysis of these data will provide scientific evidence on which to base weight standards for postpartum active duty women.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA337389
Entities
People
- Barbara Abrams
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley