Search

Women’s lifestyle has important implications for the development and health of their offspring. Yet little is known about the association between women’s preconception dietary intake and physical activity with cardiovascular health of the offspring. We therefore examined this association in a group of Dutch women with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) and infertility, who participated in a 6-month randomized preconception lifestyle intervention trial, and their offspring (n = 46). Preconception dietary intake and physical activity were assessed during the 6-month intervention using a food frequency questionnaire and the Short QUestionnaire to ASsess Health-enhancing physical activity (SQUASH), respectively. Offspring cardiovascular health (i.e., BMI, waist:height ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fat and fat free mass, and pulse wave velocity) was measured at age 3–6 years. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations between preconception lifestyle and offspring cardiovascular health. Higher preconception vegetable intake (per 10 g/day) was associated with lower offspring diastolic blood pressure (Z-score: −0.05 (−0.08; −0.01); p = 0.007) and higher preconception fruit intake (per 10 g/day) was associated with lower offspring pulse wave velocity (−0.05 m/s (−0.10; −0.01); p = 0.03). Against our expectations, higher preconception intake of sugary drinks was associated with a higher offspring fat free mass (0.54 kg (0.01; 1.07); p = 0.045). To conclude, preconception dietary intake is associated with offspring health.

INTRODUCTION: Women, their Offspring and iMproving lifestyle for Better cardiovascular health of both (WOMB) project is the follow-up of the LIFEstyle study, a randomised controlled trial in obese infertile women, and investigates the effects of a preconception lifestyle intervention on later health of women (WOMB women) and their children (WOMB kids).METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Obese infertile women, aged between 18 and 39 years, were recruited in 23 Dutch fertility clinics between June 2009 and June 2012. The 284 women allocated to the intervention group received a 6-month structured lifestyle programme. The 280 women in the control group received infertility care as usual. 4 to 7 years after inclusion in the trial, all women (n=564) and children conceived during the trial (24 months after randomisation) (n=305 singletons and age 3-5 years) will be approached to participate in this follow-up study (starting in 2015). The main focus of outcome will be cardiovascular health, but the dataset comprises a wide range of physical and mental health measures, diet and physical activity measures, child growth and development measures, biological samples and genetic and epigenetic information. The follow-up assessment consists of three stages that take place between 2016 and 2018, and includes (online) questionnaires, accelerometry and physical and behavioural measurements in a mobile research vehicle. A subsample of 100 women and 100 children are planned for cardiac ultrasound measurements.ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol of this follow-up study is approved by the local medical ethics committee (University Medical Centre Groningen). Study findings of the WOMB project will be widely disseminated to the scientific community, healthcare professionals, policy makers, future parents and general public.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The original LIFEstyle study is registered at The Netherlands Trial Registry (number 1530).

Background Lifestyle changes are notoriously difficult. Since women who intend to become pregnant are more susceptible to lifestyle advice, interventions during this time window might be more effective than interventions during any other period in life. We here report the effects of the first large preconception lifestyle intervention RCT on diet and physical activity in obese infertile women. Methods In total, 577 women were randomized between a six-month lifestyle intervention program (intervention group; N = 290) or prompt infertility treatment (control group; N = 287). Self-reported dietary behaviors and physical activity were assessed at baseline, three, six and twelve months after randomization. Mixed models were used to analyze differences between groups. Results Compared to the control group, the intervention group reduced their intake of sugary drinks at three months (-0.5 glasses/day [95% C.I. = -0.9;-0.2]), of savory snacks at three (-2.4 handful/week [-3.4;-1.4]) and at six months (-1.4 handful/week [-2.6;-0.2]), and of sweet snacks at three (-2.2 portion/week [-3.3;-1.0]) and twelve months after randomization (-1.9 portion/week [-3.5;-0.4]). Also, the intervention group was more moderate to vigorous physically active at three months after randomization compared to the control group (169.0 minutes/ week [6.0; 332.1]). Conclusion Our study showed that obese infertile women who followed a six-month preconception lifestyle intervention program decreased their intake of high caloric snacks and beverages, and increased their physical activity. These changes in lifestyle may not only improve women's health but their offspring's health too.