Background: Maternal obesity is a global public health concern and the most common medical disorder, affecting 30% of pregnant women globally, with low- and middle-income countries sharing 70% of the worldwide burden. There is a paucity of data relating to the epidemiology of overweight/obesity among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of maternal overweight/obesity among pregnant women in public hospitals in urban areas of eastern Ethiopia in 2023/2024. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional design was conducted in public hospitals in Dire Dawa, Harar, and Jigjiga, Ethiopia, from August 11, 2023 to April 24, 2024. All singleton pregnant mothers who started their antenatal care visit in the first 16 weeks of gestation were selected using one-stage cluster sampling. The total sample was proportionally distributed to all public hospitals based on the number of pregnant women per hospital. The data were collected through maternal interviews, medical record reviews, and maternal anthropometric measurements. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with maternal overweight/obesity. Result: The prevalence of maternal overweight/obesity among pregnant women was 20.33% (95% confidence interval: 18.81%–21.94%). The odds of being overweight/obese were higher among pregnant women aged between 25 and 34 years (adjusted odds ratio: 1.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.84), 35–49 years (adjusted odds ratio: 2.91; 95% confidence interval: 1.99–4.25), multiparous (adjusted odds ratio: 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.16), history of macrosomic babies (adjusted odds ratio: 2.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.54–2.83), family history of diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio: 1.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.13–2.03), watching TV (adjusted odds ratio: 1.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.50), and habit of taking dinner always (adjusted odds ratio: 2.35; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–4.80) than their counterparts. Conclusion: Maternal overweight/obesity is an emerging public health challenge in eastern Ethiopia, with one in five women entering pregnancy with the problem. It was associated with socio-demographic, obstetric, genetic, and lifestyle factors. Comprehensive screening services and targeted interventions focusing on at-risk women are essential to identify and address maternal overweight/obesity among pregnant women.
Tola et al. (Sun,) studied this question.