Health Indicator Report of Obesity prior to pregnancy
Women who are not at a healthy weight prior to pregnancy are at increased risk of adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Women who are obese prior to pregnancy have longer hospital stays and higher utilization of medical care during pregnancy.
Obese BMI prior to pregnancy by ethnicity, Utah, 2020-2021
Notes
Obesity for adults is defined as a BMI of 30 or more. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters.Data Source
Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health and Human ServicesDefinition
Percentage of women who delivered a live birth and had a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from pre-pregnancy weight and height.Numerator
The number of women who delivered a live birth and had a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from pre-pregnancy weight and height.Denominator
Total number of live births.Healthy People Objective MICH-16.5:
Increase the proportion of women delivering a live birth who had a healthy weight prior to pregnancyU.S. Target: 53.4 percent
How Are We Doing?
The percentage of Utah women with a healthy pre-pregnancy BMI (18.5 - 25) has decreased over the last decade to a low of 46.5% in 2021. Utah's rate is the same as the Healthy People 2030 objective of 47.1%. The proportion of Utah women with an obese pre-pregnancy BMI has increased each year from 14.5% in 2005 to 24.3% in 2021.What Is Being Done?
In an effort to reduce the rate of obesity in reproductive-aged women, the emphasis is being placed on maternal preconception health to help women achieve optimal weight and health prior to pregnancy. Women should be counseled on their weight by their primary caregivers as part of well-woman care and should be informed of their increased risks for adverse outcomes once becoming pregnant if they are at an unhealthy weight. Women who are pregnant should be counseled about appropriate weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum weight loss to prevent obesity in future pregnancies. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Environments Active Living Program has information on healthy eating and physical activity for all Utah citizens: [https://heal.health.utah.gov/]
Page Content Updated On 01/24/2023,
Published on 01/24/2023