In couples with obesity, poor paternal tendency to eat in response to food cues and limit food intake is associated with higher total and rate of maternal gestational weight gain

Authors: SPARKS, JOSHUA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; REDMAN, LEANNE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; DREWA, KIMBERLY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; SIMS, CLARKR - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS); KRUKOWSKI, REBECCA - University Of Virginia; ANDRES, ALINE - University Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objectives: The determine the relationship between paternal eating behaviors with maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) and to understand how this relationship differs by concordance in body mass index (BMI). Methods: Maternal and paternal dyads (n=225) were analyzed from the Fetal Programming of Obesity study (NCT01131117). Maternal GWG was calculated as from measured trimester 3 minus trimester 1 weights at 10 and 36 weeks gestation. Paternal eating behavior during pregnancy, including cognitive restraint, dietary disinhibition, and perceived hunger, were calculated from The Eating Inventory. Maternal and paternal BMI were calculated from measured trimester 1 height and weight, and BMI concordance was set as both parents having being with normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), or obesity (=30-35 kg/m2), or BMI discordance. Results: The highest proportion reported being married (90.7%), White/Caucasian (Maternal: 87.7%; Paternal: 58.2%), earned a college degree (Maternal:36.4%; Paternal 33.3%), an annual individual income of USD$30,000-39,999 (Maternal: 18.2%) and >USD$59,999 (Paternal: 27.6%), and were, on average, 30.2±3.6 (Maternal) and 31.5±4.1 (Paternal) years of age. Maternal and paternal BMI was 26.1±4.4 (44.9% normal weight) and 28.5±5.1 (40.1% overweight) kg/m2, respectively. Paternal Ccognitive restraint, dietary disinhibition, and perceived hunger equaled 6.5±4.6, 5.4±3.4, and 4.8±3.3, respectively. In the overall sample and by BMI concordance, there were no significant relationships observed between paternal eating behaviors with maternal GWG. However, a significant interaction was found for the relationship between dietary disinhibition and BMI concordance with total GWG. Being classified as with obesity concordance related to a 10.56 kg decrease in total GWG (p<0.01) when evaluating the relationship between dietary disinhibition and maternal GWG (ß=1.03; p=0.08) with reference group set to normal weight concordance (model: r2=0.10; p=0.03). Conclusions: Improvements in paternal eating behaviors may not have an overall impact on maternal GWG. However, in couples who express concordance for obesity, decreases in paternal dietary disinhibition may decrease total maternal GWG, which may limit risk for experiencing excess GWG in this vulnerable group. These findings are impactful, as dietary disinhibition refers to the tendency to eat in response to food cues, such that people who score higher might find that certain moods or situations make them more likely to eat. Therefore, understanding contributors to this complex relationship are warranted. Funding Sources: USDA-ARS # 6026-51000-010-05S NIH R01 NR017644 and DK124806 Pennington Biomedical Research Center/Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) P30 DK072476