Physical Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Phenotypes in Women During the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Offspring sex modifies the association between early-pregnancy adiposity and 2-year-old physical activity-The Glowing Study

BACKGROUND

Rodent models suggest that in utero exposure to under and overnutrition programs offspring physical activity (PA) behaviors. Such nexus has not been established in humans. This study evaluated the association of early pregnancy maternal adiposity with offspring PA at age 2 years (2-yo-PA) taking into consideration prenatal and postnatal factors.

METHODS

Women (n = 153) were enrolled early in pregnancy (<10 weeks). At enrollment, maternal adiposity [air displacement plethysmography, fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2)] and PA (accelerometers, activity counts) were measured, and age, race, and education self-reported. Gestational weight gain was measured at the research facility. Offspring birthweight and sex were self-reported. At age 2 years, parental feeding practices (child feeding questionnaire) were assessed, whereas anthropometrics (length and weight) and physical activity (accelerometers) were objectively measured. Offspring body mass index z-scores were calculated. Generalized linear regression analysis modeled the association of maternal FMI and 2-yo-PA [average activity counts (AC)4/day].

RESULTS

In bivariate associations, 2-yo-PA did not associate with maternal FMI (β = -0.22, CI = -0.73 to 0.29, p = 0.398). However, maternal FMI interacted with offspring sex in association with 2-yo-PA. Specifically, 2-yo-PA was lower in girls (β = -1.14, CI = -2.1 to -0.18, p = 0.02) compared to boys when maternal FMI was ≥7 kg/m2. When stratified by sex, 2-yo-PA of girls negatively associated with maternal FMI (β = -0.82, CI = -1.43 to 0.29, p = 0.009) while no association was found between maternal FMI and boy's PA (β = 0.32, CI = -0.38 to 1.01, p = 0.376).

CONCLUSIONS

The association of 2-yo-PA and early pregnancy maternal adiposity was modified by offspring sex. Offspring's physical activity decreased with increasing early pregnancy adiposity maternal in girls but not boys in second parity dyads.

Relationships between physical behaviour phenotypes of mothers in pregnancy and their offspring with child body composition

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify physical behaviour phenotypes in mothers in the first trimester and in their offspring at 24 months of age. The secondary aim was to examine relationships between mother and child behaviours with child body composition at age 24 months.

METHODS

Longitudinal secondary analysis of the Glowing cohort collected between 1 February 2011 and 22 August 2017 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Behaviours were measured using ankle-worn accelerometers in mothers during the first trimester and offspring at 24 months of age, including total activity, sleep, sedentary time and a novel variable of daily variation, patternicity. Child body fat was measured using quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance.

RESULTS

Three phenotypes were identified for mothers and children (n = 159 complete dyads). There were no relationships between mother and child phenotypes, but higher maternal patternicity was associated with higher child patternicity (0.2, 95% CI 0.1, 0.3, p = 0.001). There were no associations between mother or child phenotypes with child body composition, however higher child activity was associated with lower body fat (-0.01, 95% CI: -0.02, -0.001, p = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

Limited associations were found between mothers' pregnancy physical behaviours with child behaviours or child body composition at 24 months of age. Factors such as child diet or current parental physical activity may be better predictors of early childhood outcomes.