Dataset Information

Maternal BMI mediates the impact of crop-related agricultural work during pregnancy on infant length in rural Pakistan: a mediation analysis of cross-sectional data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stunted growth in early infancy is a public health problem in low-and-middle income countries. Evidence suggests heavy agricultural work during pregnancy is inversely associated with maternal body mass index (BMI) and infant birth weight in low- and middle-income countries; but pathways linking agricultural work to length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ) in early infancy have not been examined. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between agricultural work during pregnancy, post-natal maternal BMI and LAZ among young infants in rural Pakistan; and explored whether maternal BMI mediated the relationship between agricultural work and infant LAZ.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2015 to January 2016 in rural Sindh, Pakistan. Mother-infant dyads were recruited via systematic random cluster sampling at 2-12?weeks' post-partum (n?=?1161). Anthropometric measurements (maternal and infant height/length and weight) and questionnaire data were collected. Multivariable linear regression and structural-equation based mediation analyses were used to examine associations of agricultural work during pregnancy with maternal BMI and infant LAZ.

Results

During pregnancy, women reported engaging in livestock-related work (57.0%), crop-related work (42.7%), and cotton harvesting (28.4%). All three forms of agricultural work were negatively associated with maternal BMI (??=?-?0.67 [-?1.06; -?0.28], ??=?-?0.97 [-?1.51; -?0.48]; and ??=?-?0.87 [-?1.33; -?0.45], respectively). Maternal engagement in cotton harvesting alone was negatively associated with infant LAZ after controlling for confounding factors. The total negative effect of cotton harvesting on infant LAZ was -?0.35 [-?0.53; -?0.16]. The indirect effect of maternal BMI on infant LAZ was -?0.06 [-?0.08; -?0.03], revealing that 16% (-?0.06/-?0.35) of the relationship between cotton harvesting and infant LAZ, after adjustment, was mediated via maternal BMI.

Conclusion

These results underscore a need to reduce labour-intensive agricultural workload demands during pregnancy, especially in cotton harvesting, to reduce risks of negative maternal energy balance and poor growth outcomes in early infancy.

SUBMITTER: Pradeilles R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6918638 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Maternal BMI mediates the impact of crop-related agricultural work during pregnancy on infant length in rural Pakistan: a mediation analysis of cross-sectional data.

Pradeilles Rebecca R Allen Elizabeth E Gazdar Haris H Bux Mallah Hussain H Budhani Azmat A Mehmood Rashid R Mazhar Sidra S Mysorewala Ayesha A Aslam Saba S Dangour Alan D AD Ferguson Elaine E

BMC pregnancy and childbirth 20191217 1

<h4>Background</h4>Stunted growth in early infancy is a public health problem in low-and-middle income countries. Evidence suggests heavy agricultural work during pregnancy is inversely associated with maternal body mass index (BMI) and infant birth weight in low- and middle-income countries; but pathways linking agricultural work to length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ) in early infancy have not been examined. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between agricultural work during pregnancy, ...[more]

PMID: 31847831

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Dataset Information

Maternal BMI mediates the impact of crop-related agricultural work during pregnancy on infant length in rural Pakistan: a mediation analysis of cross-sectional data.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Maternal BMI mediates the impact of crop-related agricultural work during pregnancy on infant length in rural Pakistan: a mediation analysis of cross-sectional data.

Similar Datasets

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