Important Facts for Obesity prior to pregnancy

Definition

Percentage of women who delivered a live birth and had a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from pre-pregnancy weight and height.

Numerator

The number of women who delivered a live birth and had a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m^2^ calculated from pre-pregnancy weight and height.

Denominator

Total number of live births.

Why Is This Important?

Women who are not at a healthy weight prior to pregnancy are at increased risk of adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Women who are obese prior to pregnancy have longer hospital stays and higher utilization of medical care during pregnancy.

How Are We Doing?

The percentage of Utah women with a healthy pre-pregnancy BMI (18.5-25) has decreased over the last decade to a low of 45.1% in 2022. Utah's rate is the same as the Healthy People 2030 objective of 47.1%. The proportion of Utah women with an obese pre-pregnancy BMI has increased each year from 14.5% in 2005 to 25.2% in 2022.

What Is Being Done?

In an effort to reduce the rate of obesity in reproductive-aged women, the emphasis is being placed on maternal preconception health to help women achieve optimal weight and health prior to pregnancy. Women should be counseled on their weight by their primary caregivers as part of well-woman care and should be informed of their increased risks for adverse outcomes once becoming pregnant if they are at an unhealthy weight. Women who are pregnant should be counseled about appropriate weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum weight loss to prevent obesity in future pregnancies. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Environments Active Living Program has information on healthy eating and physical activity for all Utah citizens: [https://heal.utah.gov/]