Henriques Ana, Azevedo Ana
Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit) - Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal.
Porto Biomed J. 2016 May-Jun;1(2):59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.pbj.2016.04.003. Epub 2016 May 1.
Portugal is characterized by a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among women, whose weight increases most rapidly in early adulthood. Individual genetic features and behaviours, along with social, cultural and environmental factors interact in complex relationships with body weight and with its variation throughout time. Motherhood may trigger an increase in weight, potentially influencing the associations between excessive weight and several other health determinants. Taking into account the quality of prenatal care within Portugal's health care system, regarding coverage and success in improved outcomes, we theoretically demonstrate why pregnancy and motherhood should be seen as opportunities for prevention and why a deeper knowledge about the interplay of biological, social and psychological determinants of weight at this stage of life can be useful to design more effective weight control interventions towards this population.
葡萄牙的特点是女性超重和肥胖的患病率很高，她们的体重在成年早期增长最为迅速。个体的遗传特征和行为，以及社会、文化和环境因素，与体重及其随时间的变化以复杂的关系相互作用。母亲身份可能会引发体重增加，这可能会影响超重与其他几个健康决定因素之间的关联。考虑到葡萄牙医疗保健系统中产前护理的质量，包括覆盖范围和改善结果方面的成效，我们从理论上证明了为什么怀孕和母亲身份应被视为预防的机会，以及为什么深入了解生命这个阶段体重的生物学、社会和心理决定因素之间的相互作用，对于为这一人群设计更有效的体重控制干预措施会有所帮助。
