The Neglected Problem of Obesity during Pregnancy in Mexico: Secondary Data Analysis of the 2018 National Survey of Health and Nutrition

Objectives To compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics among obese and non-obese women in Mexico and analyze the association between obesity and pregnancy complications. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2018–2019 Mexican National Survey of Health and Nutrition. We included women aged 20–49 years who had at least one live birth in the five years preceding the survey (n = 1573). We performed a double-weighted (by IP-weights and survey-weights) multilevel multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Obesity was prevalent in 32% of pregnant women. Obese and non-obese women received similar antenatal care. 42.6% of obese women, compared to 33.6% of non-obese had one or more pregnancy or labor complications. Compared with non-obese women, obese women were older and had more chronic diseases. Obesity was associated with a 48% increase in the probability of complications. Conclusion Due to the high prevalence of obesity among Mexican women of reproductive age and given the independent association between obesity and complications during pregnancy and labor, the development and implementation of specific clinical guidelines on weight management before conception, during pregnancy, and post-partum for women who are obese is an unmet need in Mexico.