Prevalence of obesity in a Saudi obstetric population.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of obesity and its determinants during the first month of gestation in Saudi women. METHODS Retrospective chart review of measured BMI in Al-Hassa, the largest province in Saudi Arabia, in 2007. Data were collected from records of 791 (72.6% of 1,089) pregnant women registered for prenatal care. RESULTS Height shows a normal Gaussian distribution, whereas weight is skewed positively (skewness of 0.77). The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m(2)) were 8.5, 39.3, 23.6, 23.9, and 4.7%, respectively. Logistic regression revealed that the most important significant independent predictors of obesity are parity of 4 and more (odds ratio (OR) = 5.8) and urban residence (OR = 4.9). CONCLUSION Overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity are common (>52%) among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. Health education to control body weight before pregnancy is warranted.