Pregnancy-Related Risk Factors and Glucose Intolerance in Women during Midlife

Women may be susceptible to excessive weight gain during pregnancy, especially for a first birth. Very few studies have assessed weight changes from before, during and after all pregnancies to determine the most vulnerable periods for triggering overweight or obesity in women of childbearing age. We propose to combine the existing pregnancy information from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) biracial cohort with additional information on pregnancy course and outcomes from state birth records and hospital records and in-person assessments of glucose tolerance at the CARDIA 30-year exam in 2015-2016. We propose to evaluate maternal weight changes from young adulthood across the entire childbearing experience as they influence risk factor changes and the progression to glucose intolerance in midlife.