Objectives: To investigate risk factors for women with obesity of childbearing age.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of New Zealand women (15-49 years) with measured height and weight was used [unweighted (n = 3625) and weighted analytical sample (n = 1,098,372)] alongside sociodemographic-, behavioural- and environmental-level predictors. Multilevel logistic regression weighted for non-response of height and weight data was used.
Results: Meeting physical activity guidelines (AOR (adjusted odds ratio) 0.66, 95% CI 0.54-0.80), Asian (AOR 0.15, 95% CI 0.10-0.23) and European/other ethnicity (AOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.36-0.58) and an increased availability of public greenspace (Q4 AOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41-0.75) were related to decreased obesity risk. Older age (45-49 years AOR 3.01, 95% CI 2.17-4.16), Pacific ethnicity (AOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.87-4.22), residing in deprived areas (AOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.16-2.35) or secondary urban areas (AOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.03-2.18) were related to increased obesity risk. When examined by rural/urban classification, private greenspace was only related to increased obesity risk in main urban areas.
Conclusions: This study highlights factors including but not limited to public greenspace, which inform obesity interventions for women of childbearing age in New Zealand.
Keywords: Green space; Maternal; New Zealand; Obesity; Women.