Associations Between Prenatal Loss of Control Eating and Cardiovascular Health During Pregnancy

Objective

Loss of control (LOC) eating (feeling unable to control food type/amount eaten) during pregnancy is common and linked to risk for poor cardiovascular health (CVH), but it is unclear whether prenatal LOC eating directly relates to CVH during pregnancy. The current study tested associations between prenatal LOC eating and CVH during pregnancy in a sample with prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) ≥25.

Method

At 12-20 weeks' gestation, participants (N=124) self-reported: prenatal LOC eating, diet, physical activity, nicotine use, sleep; height/weight were measured. Data were collected during 2015-2017. We dichotomized LOC eating (0 = absent; 1 = present) and scored CVH metrics using Life's Essential 8 to create a composite CVH score (range = 0-100; higher = better). Linear and binary logistic regression models tested if LOC eating is related to composite CVH score and odds of scoring low (0)/moderate-high (1) on each CVH metric, respectively. All models employed propensity score adjustment, since those with/without LOC eating may differ in ways affecting CVH, and covaried for: age, gestational age, prepregnancy BMI, ethnicity, race, education, and income.

Results

Compared to those without, participants with LOC eating had significantly poorer composite CVH scores (b=-9.27, t(111)=-2.70, p<.01) and lower odds of scoring moderate-high on nicotine use (OR = 0.20, 95% CI [0.04, 0.85], p=.03) and sleep duration (OR = 0.19, 95% CI [0.04, 0.83], p=.03) CVH metrics.

Conclusions

Prenatal LOC eating was associated with poorer CVH during pregnancy in this sample with prepregnancy BMI ≥25, even after controlling for propensity of experiencing LOC eating and known risk factors for poor CVH. Thus, prenatal LOC may represent a modifiable factor related to prenatal health risk.