THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY GESTATIONAL WEIGHT GAIN ON ADVERSE BIRTH OUTCOMES AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF LATE GESTATIONAL WEIGHT GAIN IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA: ANALYSIS OF THE KITE COHORT.

Getaneh Mulu, Katolic university of Leuven
Eline M. van der Beek, University of Groningen
Kebede Misgina, Erasmus University
Henk Groen, University of Groningen

Background: While evidence suggests that inadequate total Gestational Weight Gain (GWG) is linked to adverse birth outcomes, the relevance of adequate GWG in early pregnancy for optimal birth outcomes remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relation between early GWG and adverse birth outcomes and to evaluate the mediating role of late GWG. Methods: The prospective study included 991 pregnant women. Birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age and sex was categorized as Small for Gestational Age (SGA). The study employed both linear and logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between early GWG and birth outcomes, while mediation analysis was used to explore the mediating role of late GWG. Result: A total of 870 pregnant women were included in the analysis. Higher early GWG was associated with higher birth weight (ß = 0.086, 95% CI 0.057, 0.112, p<0.001) and lower odds of SGA (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.51-0.78, p<0.001). Late GWG mediated 44% and 47.7% of the association between early GWG and birth weight and SGA, respectively. Conclusion: Higher levels of GWG in early pregnancy were associated with lower odds of adverse birth outcomes. The association was partially mediated by late GWG.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Longitudinal studies , Structural equation modelling , Big data

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