Associations of dietary inflammatory potential with postpartum weight change and retention: Results from a cohort study

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the associations of Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) with weight outcomes within 1 year post partum.

Methods: This analysis included women who participated in a cohort study in South China (n = 468). The assessments included maternal height, weight, and dietary intake. The latter variable was based on three consecutive 24-hour food records collected at 2 weeks and 1 year after childbirth and was used to calculate the energy-adjusted DII (EDII) scores during and after puerperium, respectively. A general linear regression was performed to examine the relationships between the EDII scores and postpartum weight outcomes after adjusting for confounders.

Results: In an analysis adjusted for confounders, the EDII during puerperium was positively associated with the weight change from 3 to 42 days (β: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.11-0.70). The EDII after puerperium was positively correlated with the weight changes from 42 days to 1 year (β: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.02-1.02) and from 3 days to 1 year (β: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.13-1.14), as well as with the postpartum weight retention at 1 year after childbirth (β: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.29-1.22).

Conclusions: The results indicate that a diet with a high EDII score might minimize postpartum weight loss and promote higher postpartum weight retention.