Date of Award
Summer 2022
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Department
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
First Advisor
Nansi S. Boghossian
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this thesis is to examine the relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), measured during the postpartum period, and postpartum weight retention.
Setting and Participants: We used the Infant Feeding Practices Study (IFPS) II (n=5000), a longitudinal study of women from late pregnancy through their infant’s first year of life conducted between 2005 and 2007. Survey topics included feeding practices, infant health, food allergies, sleeping arrangements, mother’s employment, childcare, and mother’s dietary intake.
Main Outcomes: Postpartum weight retention (PPWR) was calculated in kilograms by subtracting self-reported body weight at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum from self-reported pre-pregnancy body weight. Substantial PPWR was defined as ≥ 4.55kg.
Methods: DII, a literature-based index, was used to measure the inflammatory potential of an individual’s diet based on the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) collected by the IFSP II. A generalized estimating equations was used to examine the relationship between the DII score and PPWR and to determine the relationship between the DII score and the odds of substantial PPWR.
Results: For both outcomes of PPWR and substantial PPWR, the DII score was not a significant predictor (PPWR: 0.06 kg; 95% CI: [-0.11, 0.23]; P = 0.24) (Odds of substantial PPWR: 1.03; 95% CI: [0.96, 1.10]; P = 0.24). Time after delivery, marital status, parity, breastfeeding duration, pre-pregnancy BMI, and gestational weight gain were all significantly associated with PPWR and substantial PPWR.
Conclusions: This study did not find evidence that DII scores are associated with mean PPWR nor the odds of substantial PPWR. Time after delivery, marital status, parity, breastfeeding duration, pre-pregnancy BMI, and gestational weight gain were all significant covariates associated with PPWR and substantial PPWR. This study contributes to the literature on diet quality and PPWR and highlights the need for additional research examining if diet quality has a significant impact on PPWR.
Rights
© 2022, Nyrobi Tyson
Recommended Citation
Tyson, N.(2022). Association Between Postpartum Weight Retention and the Dietary Inflammatory Index. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/6908