Maternal sociodemographic and health behaviours associated with adiposity in infants as measured by air displacement plethysmography

BACKGROUND: Identifying modifiable factors associated with body fat in infancy may improve health outcomes. Few studies have examined factors associated with percentage body fat calculated using air displacement plethysmography, a gold standard technique. AIMS: To investigate maternal sociodemographic and health behaviour characteristics associated with percentage body fat in offspring at birth. STUDY DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study in which the body composition of term infants was measured by air displacement plethysmography during the hospital stay after birth. SUBJECTS: One-hundred-and-ninety-six women and their term (37-42 weeks) infants. OUTCOME MEASURES: Associations between infant body composition and maternal sociodemographic and health characteristics. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-ninety-six women (41.8% primiparous) participated. Mean percentage body fat among infants (51.5% female) was 10.3 ± 3.7. Percentage body fat was significantly (p