ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with active duty military women being within Navy weight standards 6 months following childbirth. METHODS: Inclusion criteria for this study were active duty women who delivered a nonanomalous fetus at a Naval Hospital and who remained in the area and their weight was recorded 6 months following childbirth. Multivariate logistic regressions, adjusted for 14 covariates, determined the factors for achieving acceptable weight. RESULTS: Among 1,009 women who participated in this prospective cohort study, 68% began within Navy body weight standards and 52% had a normal body mass index (BMI) (<25). Six months after childbirth, 48% were within Navy body weight standards and 32% had a BMI <25. Only 2 factors, BMI at first visit and cesarean delivery, significantly influenced the percentage of women who met the weight standards at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Lowering the prepregnancy BMI and avoiding a cesarean delivery may improve the percentage of active duty women who meet weight standards 6 months after childbirth.
