Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Childhood Autism-related Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic evidence linking prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with altered neurodevelopment is inconclusive, and few large studies have focused on autism-related outcomes. We investigated whether blood concentrations of PFAS in pregnancy are associated with child autism-related outcomes. METHODS: We included 10 cohorts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program (n = 1,429). We measured 14 PFAS analytes in maternal blood collected during pregnancy; eight analytes met detection criteria for analysis. We assessed quantitative autism-related traits in children via parent report on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). In multivariable linear models, we examined relationships of each PFAS (natural log-transformed) with SRS scores. We further modeled PFAS as a complex mixture using Bayesian methods and examined modification of these relationships by child sex. RESULTS: Most PFAS in maternal blood were not associated with child SRS T-scores. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) showed the strongest and most consistent association: each 1-unit increase in ln-transformed PFNA was associated with greater autism-related traits (adjusted ß [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 1.5 [-0.1, 3.0]). The summed mixture, which included six PFAS detected in >70% of participants, was not associated with SRS T-scores (adjusted ß [95% highest posterior density interval] = 0.7 [-1.4, 3.0]). We did not observe consistent evidence of sex differences. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal blood concentrations of PFNA may be associated with modest increases in child autism-related traits. Future work should continue to examine the relationship between exposures to both legacy and emerging PFAS and additional dimensional, quantitative measures of childhood autism-related outcomes.

Weight Loss, Stability, and Low Weight Gain during Pregnancy among Individuals with Obesity: Associations with Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: The safety of weight loss and low weight gain during pregnancy remains unclear. To determine how different patterns of gestational weight gain (GWG), including weight loss, stability, and low GWG relate to perinatal outcomes by prepregnancy obesity class. STUDY DESIGN: The study population included 29,408 singleton livebirths among pregnant people with obesity from Kaiser Permanente Northern California (2008-2013). Clinically measured GWG was grouped into meaningful categories (Adequate: reference, met 2009 National Academy of Medicine [NAM] Guidelines [5-9.1 kg], Excessive [>9.1 kg], Low [1-4.9 kg], Stable [±1 kg], Weight Loss [>1 kg]) or GWG Z-score quintiles. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate risk of adverse outcomes, stratified by obesity class. Electronic health record data were used to define outcomes, including cesarean delivery, preterm birth, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, small- and large-for-gestational age infants. RESULTS: Prevalence of weight stability and weight loss was 3.8 and 3.4%, respectively. Compared with those who gained within NAM, increased risk of small-for-gestational age was observed among those with weight loss among obesity class I (Risk Ratio (RR): 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12, 2.19), obesity class II (RR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.52, 3.13), and obesity class III (RR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.45). Weight loss was associated with a decreased risk of cesarean delivery among obesity class III, compared with NAM. CONCLUSION: Weight loss during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of small-for-gestational age among all obesity classes, but not other adverse perinatal outcomes and may reduce risk of cesarean delivery. Low weight gain and weight stability are not associated with risk of adverse outcomes among those with class III obesity. GWG guidelines may need to vary by obesity class. KEY POINTS: · Weight loss during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of small-for-gestational age among all obesity classes; but weight loss was not associated with other adverse perinatal outcomes.. · Among class III, low weight gain and weight stability are not associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.. · GWG guidelines may need to vary by obesity class..

Prenatal Weight Change Trajectories and Perinatal Outcomes among Twin Gestations.

OBJECTIVE: Despite an increase in twin pregnancies in recent decades, the Institute of Medicine twin weight gain recommendations remain provisional and provide no guidance for the pattern or timing of weight change. We sought to characterize gestational weight change trajectory patterns and examine associations with birth outcomes in a cohort of twin pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Prenatal and delivery records were examined for 320 twin pregnancies from a maternal-fetal medicine practice in Austin, TX 2011-2019. Prenatal weights for those with >1 measured weight in the first trimester and ≥3 prenatal weights were included in analyses. Trajectories were estimated to 32 weeks (mean delivery: 33.7 ± 3.3 weeks) using flexible latent class mixed models with low-rank thin-plate splines. Associations between trajectory classes and infant outcomes were analyzed using multivariable Poisson or linear regression. RESULTS: Weight change from prepregnancy to delivery was 15.4 ± 6.3 kg for people with an underweight body mass index, 15.4 ± 5.8 kg for healthy weight, 14.7 ± 6.9 kg for overweight, and 12.5 ± 6.4 kg for obesity. Three trajectory classes were identified: low (Class 1), moderate (Class 2), or high gain (Class 3). Class 1 (24.7%) maintained weight for 15 weeks and then gained an estimated 6.6 kg at 32 weeks. Class 2 (60.9%) exhibited steady gain with 13.5 kg predicted total gain, and Class 3 (14.4%) showed rapid gain across pregnancy with 21.3 kg predicted gain. Compared to Class 1, Class 3 was associated with higher birth weight z-score (ß = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31,0.96), increased risk for large for gestational age (IRR = 5.60, 95% CI: 1.59, 19.67), and birth <32 weeks (IRR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.10, 5.4) that was attenuated in sensitivity analyses. Class 2 was associated with moderately elevated birth weight z-score (ß = 0.24, 95%CI: 0.00, 0.48, p = 0.050). CONCLUSION: Gestational weight change followed a low, moderate, or high trajectory; both moderate and high gain patterns were associated with increased infant size outcomes. Optimal patterns of weight change that balance risk during the prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal periods require further investigation, particularly in high-risk twin pregnancies. KEY POINTS: · A majority gained weight below IOM twin recommendations.. · Three patterns of GWC across pregnancy were identified.. · Moderate or high GWC was associated with infant size..

Gestational diabetes mellitus, prenatal maternal depression, and risk for postpartum depression: an Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Study.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated bidirectional associations between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and perinatal maternal depression. However, the association between GDM, prenatal depression, and postpartum depression (PPD) has not been examined in a prospective cohort longitudinally. METHODS: Participants in the current analysis included 5,822 women from the National Institutes of Health's Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Research Program: N = 4,606 with Neither GDM nor Prenatal Maternal Depression (Reference Category); N = 416 with GDM only; N = 689 with Prenatal Maternal Depression only; and N = 111 with Comorbid GDM and Prenatal Maternal Depression. The PROMIS-D scale was used to measure prenatal and postnatal maternal depressive symptoms. Primary analyses consisted of linear regression models to estimate the independent and joint effects of GDM and prenatal maternal depression on maternal postpartum depressive symptoms. RESULTS: A higher proportion of women with GDM were classified as having prenatal depression (N = 111; 21%) compared to the proportion of women without GDM who were classified as having prenatal depression (N = 689; 13%), however this finding was not significant after adjustment for covariates. Women with Comorbid GDM and Prenatal Maternal Depression had significantly increased postpartum depressive symptoms measured by PROMIS-D T-scores compared to women with Neither GDM nor Prenatal Maternal Depression (mean difference 7.02, 95% CI 5.00, 9.05). Comorbid GDM and Prenatal Maternal Depression was associated with an increased likelihood of PPD (OR 7.38, 95% CI 4.05, 12.94). However, women with GDM only did not have increased postpartum PROMIS-D T-scores or increased rates of PPD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of universal depression screening during pregnancy and in the first postpartum year. Due to the joint association of GDM and prenatal maternal depression on risk of PPD, future studies should examine potential mechanisms underlying this relation.

Disparities in Risks of Inadequate and Excessive Intake of Micronutrients during Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate or excessive intake of micronutrients in pregnancy has potential to negatively impact maternal/offspring health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to compare risks of inadequate or excessive micronutrient intake in diverse females with singleton pregnancies by strata of maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, and prepregnancy BMI. METHODS: Fifteen observational cohorts in the US Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Consortium assessed participant dietary intake with 24-h dietary recalls (n = 1910) or food-frequency questionnaires (n = 7891) from 1999-2019. We compared the distributions of usual intake of 19 micronutrients from food alone (15 cohorts; n = 9801) and food plus dietary supplements (10 cohorts with supplement data; n = 7082) to estimate the proportion with usual daily intakes below their age-specific daily Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), above their Adequate Intake (AI), and above their Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), overall and within sociodemographic and anthropometric subgroups. RESULTS: Risk of inadequate intake from food alone ranged from 0% to 87%, depending on the micronutrient and assessment methodology. When dietary supplements were included, some women were below the EAR for vitamin D (20-38%), vitamin E (17-22%), and magnesium (39-41%); some women were above the AI for vitamin K (63-75%), choline (7%), and potassium (37-53%); and some were above the UL for folic acid (32-51%), iron (39-40%), and zinc (19-20%). Highest risks for inadequate intakes were observed among participants with age 14-18 y (6 nutrients), non-White race or Hispanic ethnicity (10 nutrients), less than a high school education (9 nutrients), or obesity (9 nutrients). CONCLUSIONS: Improved diet quality is needed for most pregnant females. Even with dietary supplement use, >20% of participants were at risk of inadequate intake of ≥1 micronutrients, especially in some population subgroups. Pregnancy may be a window of opportunity to address disparities in micronutrient intake that could contribute to intergenerational health inequalities.

Exercise During the First Trimester and Infant Size at Birth: Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the Causal Risk Difference.

This cohort study sought to estimate the differences in risk of delivering infants who were small or large for gestational age (SGA or LGA, respectively) according to exercise during the first trimester of pregnancy (vs. no exercise) among 2,286 women receiving care at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2013-2017. Exercise was assessed by questionnaire. SGA and LGA were determined by the sex- and gestational-age-specific birthweight distributions of the 2017 US Natality file. Risk differences were estimated by targeted maximum likelihood estimation, with and without data-adaptive prediction (machine learning). Analyses were also stratified by prepregnancy weight status. Overall, exercise at the cohort-specific 75th percentile was associated with an increased risk of SGA of 4.5 (95% CI: 2.1, 6.8) per 100 births, and decreased risk of LGA of 2.8 (95% CI: 0.5, 5.1) per 100 births; similar findings were observed among the underweight and normal-weight women, but no associations were found among those with overweight or obesity. Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines was associated with increased risk of SGA and decreased risk of LGA but only among underweight and normal-weight women. Any vigorous exercise reduced the risk of LGA in underweight and normal-weight women only and was not associated with SGA risk.

Understanding childhood obesity in the US: the NIH environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) program.

BACKGROUND: Few resources exist for prospective, longitudinal analysis of the relationships between early life environment and later obesity in large diverse samples of children in the United States (US). In 2016, the National Institutes of Health launched the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program to investigate influences of environmental exposures on child health and development. We describe demographics and overweight and obesity prevalence in ECHO, and ECHO's potential as a resource for understanding how early life environmental factors affect obesity risk. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study of 70 extant US and Puerto Rico cohorts, 2003-2017, we examined age, race/ethnicity, and sex in children with body mass index (BMI) data, including 28,507 full-term post-birth to <2 years and 38,332 aged 2-18 years. Main outcomes included high BMI for age <2 years, and at 2-18 years overweight (BMI 85th to <95th percentile), obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile), and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 120% of 95th percentile). RESULTS: The study population had diverse race/ethnicity and maternal demographics. Each outcome was more common with increasing age and varied with race/ethnicity. High BMI prevalence (95% CI) was 4.7% (3.5, 6.0) <1 year, and 10.6% (7.4, 13.7) for 1 to <2 years; overweight prevalence increased from 13.9% (12.4, 15.9) at 2-3 years to 19.9% (11.7, 28.2) at 12 to <18 years. ECHO has the statistical power to detect relative risks for 'high' BMI ranging from 1.2 to 2.2 for a wide range of exposure prevalences (1-50%) within each age group. CONCLUSIONS: ECHO is a powerful resource for understanding influences of chemical, biological, social, natural, and built environments on onset and trajectories of obesity in US children. The large sample size of ECHO cohorts adopting a standardized protocol for new data collection of varied exposures along with longitudinal assessments will allow refined analyses to identify drivers of childhood obesity.

Gestational weight gain and optimal wellness (GLOW): rationale and methods for a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention among pregnant women with overweight or obesity.

BACKGROUND: Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is common among women with overweight or obesity, increasing their risks for pregnancy complications, delivering a large infant, and postpartum weight retention. To date, only intensive interventions have had success and few interventions have been designed for implementation in healthcare settings. METHODS: We describe the development, rationale, and methods of GLOW (GestationaL Weight Gain and Optimal Wellness), a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a lifestyle intervention to prevent excess GWG among racially/ethnically diverse women with overweight or obesity in an integrated healthcare delivery system. Participants in Kaiser Permanente Northern California will be randomized, within 2 weeks of completing a study baseline clinic visit at 10 weeks' gestation, to either usual medical care or a multi-component pregnancy lifestyle intervention adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program (target N = 400). Informed by focus groups with patients and designed to be feasible in a clinical setting, the intervention will include 13 weekly individual sessions (11 delivered by telephone) focused on behavior change for weight management, healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management. Outcomes will be assessed in women and their infants from randomization to 12 months postpartum. The primary outcome is GWG. Secondary outcomes include changes in diet and physical activity during pregnancy and infant birthweight. Exploratory outcomes include cardiometabolic profile assessed via pregnancy blood samples and cord blood samples; and postpartum weight retention and infant anthropometrics up to 12 months of age. The trial includes systematic approaches to enhance intervention fidelity, intervention adherence, and participant retention in trial assessments. DISCUSSION: GLOW is among few trials targeting excess GWG among diverse women with overweight or obesity in a healthcare setting, with long-term maternal and infant outcomes assessed up to 12 months after delivery. This evaluation of a multi-component intervention is designed to produce generalizable results to inform potential adoption of the intervention in clinical settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02130232 ): submitted April 30, 2014; posted May 5, 2014.

Trends and racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of pregestational type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Northern California: 1996-2014.

BACKGROUND: Despite concern for adverse perinatal outcomes in women with diabetes mellitus before pregnancy, recent data on the prevalence of pregestational type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate changes in the prevalence of overall pregestational diabetes mellitus (all types) and pregestational type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and to estimate whether changes varied by race-ethnicity from 1996-2014. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cohort study among 655,428 pregnancies at a Northern California integrated health delivery system from 1996-2014. Logistic regression analyses provided estimates of prevalence and trends. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence (per 100 deliveries) of overall pregestational diabetes mellitus increased from 1996-1999 to 2012-2014 (from 0.58 [95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.63] to 1.06 [95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.12]; Ptrend <.0001). Significant increases occurred in all racial-ethnic groups; the largest relative increase was among Hispanic women (121.8% [95% confidence interval, 84.4-166.7]); the smallest relative increase was among non-Hispanic white women (49.6% [95% confidence interval, 27.5-75.4]). The age-adjusted prevalence of pregestational type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus increased from 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.16) to 0.23 (95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.27; Ptrend <.0001) and from 0.42 (95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.46) to 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.83; Ptrend <.0001), respectively. The greatest relative increase in the prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus was in non-Hispanic white women (118.4% [95% confidence interval, 70.0-180.5]), who had the lowest increases in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (13.6% [95% confidence interval, -8.0 to 40.1]). The greatest relative increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was in Hispanic women (125.2% [95% confidence interval, 84.8-174.4]), followed by African American women (102.0% [95% confidence interval, 38.3-194.3]) and Asian women (93.3% [95% confidence interval, 48.9-150.9]). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of overall pregestational diabetes mellitus and pregestational type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus increased from 1996-1999 to 2012-2014 and racial-ethnic disparities were observed, possibly because of differing prevalence of maternal obesity. Targeted prevention efforts, preconception care, and disease management strategies are needed to reduce the burden of diabetes mellitus and its sequelae.

The Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study (PETALS): a population-based longitudinal multi-racial birth cohort.

BACKGROUND: Increasing recognition has been received regarding the proven and suggested links between multi-level environmental exposures on a broad scale (e.g., chemical, clinical, behavioral, physical and social) and health deficits originated from the critical window of development. However, such prospective human data are limited. In 2016, the National Institutes of Health funded 35 centers comprising 84 extant cohorts for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) pediatric cohorts program. The Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study (PETALS) is one of the cohorts at the participating centers of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). METHODS: PETALS was originally funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish a longitudinal birth cohort of 3,350 mother-infant pairs and conduct a nested case-control study of 300 women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and 600 matched controls to investigate the associations between phenol exposures in first and second trimesters and GDM risk and the related outcome of infant macrosomia. This paper describes the prospective cohort design of PETALS, current research activities, and cohort profile of enrolled women who delivered as of February 2016. Women are enrolled from the KPNC membership. Fasting blood draw, urine collection, anthropometric measurements, and questionnaires on health history and lifestyle are completed at baseline and follow-up clinic visits with targeted windows of 10-13 and 16-19 weeks of gestation, respectively. Further, women's clinical and health assessments before and after the index pregnancy in addition to their children's birth outcomes and health information can be abstracted from electronic health records, allowing future follow-up. Study data could also be linked and extended to a myriad of additional observational data including environmental and area-level databases and census data. DISCUSSION: In this racially- and ethnically-diverse pregnancy cohort, the generated biospecimen and data repository will establish a comprehensive framework which may provide unique opportunities to address a multitude of research questions on the intrauterine environment and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes in a representative multi-racial/ethnic population with generalizable findings.

Moderate and Vigorous Intensity Exercise During Pregnancy and Gestational Weight Gain in Women with Gestational Diabetes.

Objectives To estimate the associations of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise during pregnancy with the rate of gestational weight gain (GWG) from gestational diabetes (GDM) diagnosis to delivery, overall and stratified by prepregnancy overweight/obesity. Methods Prospective cohort study with physical activity reported shortly after the GDM diagnosis and prepregnancy weight and post-diagnosis GWG obtained from electronic health records (n = 1055). Multinomial logistic regression models in the full cohort and stratified by prepregnancy overweight/obesity estimated associations of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise with GWG below and above the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) prepregnancy BMI-specific recommended ranges for weekly rate of GWG in the second and third trimesters. Results In the full cohort, any participation in vigorous intensity exercise was associated with decreased odds of GWG above recommended ranges as compared to no participation [odds ratio (95 % confidence interval): 0.63 (0.40, 0.99)], with a significant trend for decreasing odds of excess GWG with increasing level of vigorous intensity exercise. Upon stratification by prepregnancy overweight/obesity, significant associations were only observed for BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m(2): any vigorous intensity exercise, as compared to none, was associated with 54 % decreased odds of excess GWG [0.46 (0.27, 0.79)] and significant trends were detected for decreasing odds of GWG both below and above the IOM's recommended ranges with increasing level of vigorous exercise (both P ≤ 0.03). No associations were observed for moderate intensity exercise. Conclusions for Practice In women with GDM, particularly overweight and obese women, vigorous intensity exercise during pregnancy may reduce the odds of excess GWG.

Outreach to diversify clinical trial participation: A randomized recruitment study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in clinical research, yet few recruitment strategies have been rigorously evaluated. METHODS: We experimentally tested whether targeted recruitment letters acknowledging diabetes health disparities and health risks specific to recipients' racial/ethnic group improved two metrics of trial participation: willingness to be screened and enrollment. This experiment was efficiently nested within a randomized clinical trial examining a preventive lifestyle intervention among women at high risk for diabetes. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (N = 445) were randomized to receive a targeted recruitment letter with health risk information specific to their racial/ethnic group (n = 216), or a standard letter with risk information for the general population (n = 229). All letters were bilingual in English and Spanish. RESULTS: The targeted as compared to the standard letter did not improve screening or enrollment rates overall or within separate racial/ethnic groups. Among Latina women who preferred Spanish, the targeted letter showed trends for improved screening (66.7% vs 33.3%, p = .06) and enrollment rates (38.9% vs 13.3%, p = .13). In contrast, among Latina women who preferred English, the targeted letter significantly lowered screening (29.6% vs 57.1%, p = .04) and showed trends for lowered enrollment rates (25.9% vs 50.0%, p = .07). CONCLUSION: Results from this randomized study appear to suggest that recruitment letters with diabetes health risk information targeted to recipients' race/ethnicity may improve one metric of clinical trial participation among Latina women who prefer Spanish, but not English. Larger experimental studies, incorporating input from diverse participant stakeholders, are needed to develop evidence-based minority recruitment strategies.

Pioglitazone Use and Risk of Bladder Cancer and Other Common Cancers in Persons With Diabetes.

IMPORTANCE: Studies suggest pioglitazone use may increase risk of cancers. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether pioglitazone use for diabetes is associated with risk of bladder and 10 additional cancers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort and nested case-control analyses among persons with diabetes. A bladder cancer cohort followed 193,099 persons aged 40 years or older in 1997-2002 until December 2012; 464 case patients and 464 matched controls were surveyed about additional confounders. A cohort analysis of 10 additional cancers included 236,507 persons aged 40 years or older in 1997-2005 and followed until June 2012. Cohorts were from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. EXPOSURES: Ever use, duration, cumulative dose, and time since initiation of pioglitazone as time dependent. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Incident cancer, including bladder, prostate, female breast, lung/bronchus, endometrial, colon, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreas, kidney/renal pelvis, rectum, and melanoma. RESULTS: Among 193,099 persons in the bladder cancer cohort, 34,181 (18%) received pioglitazone (median duration, 2.8 years; range, 0.2-13.2 years) and 1261 had incident bladder cancer. Crude incidences of bladder cancer in pioglitazone users and nonusers were 89.8 and 75.9 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Ever use of pioglitazone was not associated with bladder cancer risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.06; 95% CI, 0.89-1.26). Results were similar in case-control analyses (pioglitazone use: 19.6% among case patients and 17.5% among controls; adjusted odds ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.78-1.80). In adjusted analyses, there was no association with 8 of the 10 additional cancers; ever use of pioglitazone was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02-1.26) and pancreatic cancer (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.16-1.71). Crude incidences of prostate and pancreatic cancer in pioglitazone users vs nonusers were 453.3 vs 449.3 and 81.1 vs 48.4 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. No clear patterns of risk for any cancer were observed for time since initiation, duration, or dose. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Pioglitazone use was not associated with a statistically significant increased risk of bladder cancer, although an increased risk, as previously observed, could not be excluded. The increased prostate and pancreatic cancer risks associated with ever use of pioglitazone merit further investigation to assess whether they are causal or are due to chance, residual confounding, or reverse causality.

Maternal gestational weight gain and offspring risk for childhood overweight or obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between gestational weight gain, per the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations, and offspring overweight/obesity at 2-5 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of 4145 women who completed a health survey (2007-2009) and subsequently delivered a singleton at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (2007-2010). Childhood overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) z-score of the 85th percentile or greater of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention child growth standards. Gestational weight gain was categorized according to the 2009 IOM recommendations. Logistic regression was used; meeting the IOM recommendations was the referent. RESULTS: Exceeding the IOM recommendations was associated with a 46% increase in odds of having an overweight/obese child (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.83), after adjusting for maternal prepregnancy BMI, race/ethnicity, age at delivery, education, child age, birthweight, gestational age at delivery, gestational diabetes, parity, infant sex, total metabolic equivalents, and dietary pattern. The OR (95% CI) for childhood overweight/obesity among women gaining below the IOM recommendations was 1.23 (0.88-1.71). The associations between gaining outside the IOM recommendations and childhood obesity were stronger among women with a normal prepregnancy BMI (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.03-2.57) (below); OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.32-2.43) (exceeded). CONCLUSION: Gestational weight gain outside the IOM recommendations is associated with increased odds of childhood overweight/obesity, independent of several potential confounders and mediators. Gestational weight gain had a greater impact on childhood overweight/obesity among normal-weight women, suggesting that the effect may be independent of genetic predictors of obesity.

A pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial of diabetes prevention strategies for women with gestational diabetes: design and rationale of the Gestational Diabetes' Effects on Moms (GEM) study.

BACKGROUND: Women with gestational diabetes (GDM) are at high risk of developing diabetes later in life. After a GDM diagnosis, women receive prenatal care to control their blood glucose levels via diet, physical activity and medications. Continuing such lifestyle skills into early motherhood may reduce the risk of diabetes in this high risk population. In the Gestational Diabetes' Effects on Moms (GEM) study, we are evaluating the comparative effectiveness of diabetes prevention strategies for weight management designed for pregnant/postpartum women with GDM and delivered at the health system level. METHODS/DESIGN: The GEM study is a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial of 44 medical facilities at Kaiser Permanente Northern California randomly assigned to either the intervention or usual care conditions, that includes 2,320 women with a GDM diagnosis between March 27, 2011 and March 30, 2012. A Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone lifestyle intervention of 13 telephonic sessions tailored to pregnant/postpartum women was developed. The effectiveness of this intervention added to usual care is to be compared to usual care practices alone, which includes two pages of printed lifestyle recommendations sent to postpartum women via mail. Primary outcomes include the proportion of women who reach a postpartum weight goal and total weight change. Secondary outcomes include postpartum glycemia, blood pressure, depression, percent of calories from fat, total caloric intake and physical activity levels. Data were collected through electronic medical records and surveys at baseline (soon after GDM diagnosis), 6 weeks (range 2 to 11 weeks), 6 months (range 12 to 34 weeks) and 12 months postpartum (range 35 to 64 weeks). DISCUSSION: There is a need for evidence regarding the effectiveness of lifestyle modification for the prevention of diabetes in women with GDM, as well as confirmation that a diabetes prevention program delivered at the health system level is able to successfully reach this population. Given the use of a telephonic case management model, our Diabetes Prevention Program-derived print/telephone intervention has the potential to be adopted in other settings and to inform policies to promote the prevention of diabetes among women with GDM.

The multigroup ethnic identity measure-revised: measurement invariance across racial and ethnic groups.

The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R), a brief instrument assessing affiliation with one's ethnic group, is a promising advance in the ethnic identity literature. However, equivalency of its measurement properties across specific racial and ethnic groups should be confirmed before using it in diverse samples. We examined (a) the psychometric properties of the MEIM-R, including factor structure, measurement invariance, and internal consistency reliability, and (b) levels of and differences in ethnic identity across multiple racial and ethnic groups and subgroups. Asian (n = 630), Black/African American (n = 58), Hispanic (n = 240), multiethnic (n = 160), and White (n = 375) women completed the MEIM-R as part of the "Gestational diabetes' Effect on Moms" diabetes prevention trial in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care setting (N = 1,463; M age = 32.5 years, SD = 4.9). Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analyses provided provisional evidence of measurement invariance, i.e., an equal, correlated 2-factor structure, equal factor loadings, and equal item intercepts across racial and ethnic groups. Latent factor means for the 2 MEIM-R subscales, exploration and commitment, differed across groups; effect sizes ranging from small to large generally supported the notion of ethnic identity as more salient among people of color. Pending replication, good psychometric properties in this large and diverse sample of women support the future use of the MEIM-R. Preliminary evidence of measurement invariance suggests that the MEIM-R could be used to measure and compare ethnic identity across multiple racial and ethnic groups.

Association Between Neighborhood Deprivation in Early Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether having a pregnancy in a deprived neighborhood was associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with having a pregnancy in the least-deprived neighborhoods. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of pregnant individuals within Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2011 to 2018 with residential history from prepregnancy through 24 weeks of gestation and clinical data from prepregnancy through delivery. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of GDM. Neighborhood deprivation was characterized with an index aggregating multiple indicators of Census tract-level sociodemographic information. Mediation analysis using inverse odds ratio weighting estimated the mediation effects of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, smoking tobacco, and illegal drug use before GDM diagnosis. RESULTS: Overall, 214,375 pregnant individuals were included, and 11.3% had a diagnosis of GDM. Gestational diabetes prevalence increased with neighborhood deprivation from 10.0% in the lowest Neighborhood Deprivation Index quintile to 12.7% in the highest quintile. Compared with pregnant individuals in the least deprived neighborhoods (quintile 1), pregnant individuals in quintiles 2-5 had elevated risk of GDM (relative risk [95% CI]) when adjusted for maternal age, parity, insurance type, and residential history (quintile 2, 1.17 [1.10-1.23]; quintile 3, 1.38 [1.30-1.46]; quintile 4, 1.54 [1.45-1.63]; quintile 5, 1.71 [1.62-1.82]). There was a dose-response relationship between relative risk of GDM and increasing quintile of neighborhood deprivation ( P for trend <.001). Prepregnancy BMI mediated 45.8% (95% CI, 40.9-50.7%) of the association. Other potential mediators were found to mediate a small if not negligible proportion of this association (2.4-3.6%). CONCLUSION: Neighborhood deprivation was associated with GDM, and a considerable proportion of this relationship was mediated by prepregnancy BMI.

Theoretical Behavior Substitutions during the 24-Hour Day in Pregnancy and Infant Growth Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To assess associations of theoretically reallocating time from sleep, sedentary behavior, or light intensity physical activity (LPA) to moderate/vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) during pregnancy with infant growth outcomes. METHODS: We used data from a cohort of pregnant individuals with overweight or obesity (n = 116). At 9-15 and 30-36 weeks gestation, waking movement was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers and sleep duration was self-reported. Outcomes were obtained from delivery electronic health records (birth) and study visits (12 months). We used compositional isotemporal substitution models. RESULTS: In early pregnancy, reallocating 10 minutes of sleep, sedentary behavior, or LPA to MVPA was associated with 20% (RR = 0.80; 95%CI: 0.75,0.85), 21% (RR = 0.79; 95%CI: 0.75,0.84), and 25% (RR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.70,0.81) lower risk of large-for-gestational age (LGA) birthweight, respectively, and 17% (RR = 0.83; 95%CI: 0.75,0.91), 18% (RR = 0.82; 95%CI: 0.75,0.91), and 22% (RR = 0.78; 95%CI: 0.70,0.88) lower risk of rapid infant growth (birth to 12 months), respectively. In late pregnancy, reallocating 10 minutes to MVPA was associated with 18% to 22% lower risk of LGA birthweight, but was not associated with rapid infant growth. Reallocating time to MVPA in early or late pregnancy was not associated with high newborn body fat percent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest beneficial associations of theoretically reallocating time from sleep, sedentary behavior, or LPA to MVPA, especially during early pregnancy, for reducing LGA birthweight and rapid infant growth.

Behavior reallocations within 24-h movement profiles and change in cardiometabolic biomarkers during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate associations of reallocations within 24-h movement profiles and changes in cardiometabolic biomarkers from early to late pregnancy. METHODS: In 137 individuals with prepregnancy overweight/obesity, waking movement was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers, sleep was self-reported, and biomarkers were measured in fasting serum samples at 12 and 32 weeks' gestation. We used compositional isotemporal substitution models. RESULTS: On average, biomarkers increased 21%-83% across pregnancy. For those with guideline-recommended moderate/vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) in early pregnancy, reallocating 30 min from MVPA to sleep, sedentary behavior, or light-intensity physical activity (LPA) was associated with a 0.6 mmol/L greater increase in total cholesterol (95% CI: -0.1 to 1.2) and a 0.7 mmol/L greater increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (95% CI: 0.1 to 1.3) from early to late pregnancy. For those with low MVPA in early pregnancy, reallocating 30 min from sleep, sedentary behavior, or LPA to MVPA was associated with a 0.6 mmol/L lower increase in total cholesterol (95% CI: -1.3 to 0.1) and a 0.8 mmol/L lower increase in LDL cholesterol (95% CI: -1.4 to -0.1) from early to late pregnancy. There were no associations with change in glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, very low-density lipoprotein, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, or free fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining or achieving a 24-h movement profile with guideline-recommended amounts of MVPA may be beneficial for reducing pregnancy-induced increases in total and LDL cholesterol.

Longitudinal Changes in Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) and Risk of Incident Diabetes: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations of longitudinal changes in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone (T) over the menopause transition with the risk of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We followed 2,952 participants in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) who were premenopausal or early perimenopausal and diabetes-free at baseline. SHBG,T, and estradiol (E2) levels were measured at up to 13 follow-up visits (over up to 17 years). We used complementary log-log-based discrete-time survival models anchored at baseline. RESULTS: Diabetes developed in 376 women. A 5-unit increase in time-varying SHBG was associated with a 10% reduced risk of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.87-0.95), adjusting for covariates, and baseline SHBG,T, and E2 levels. Time-varying T was not associated with diabetes risk. Compared with the lowest quartile for annual rate of change of SHBG since baseline (quartile 1 [Q1] -92.3 to -1.5 nmol/L), all other quartiles were associated with a decreased risk of diabetes adjusting for covariates and baseline SHBG; associations persisted after adjusting for rate of change of T and E2 (Q2 [> -1.5 to -0.2 nmol/L] HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.23-0.48; Q3 [> -0.2 to 1.3 nmol/L] HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.55; Q4 [>1.3 to 82.0 nmol/L] HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.30-0.63). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing levels of SHBG over the menopause transition were associated with a decreased risk of incident diabetes. Stable to increasing rates of change in SHBG were also independently associated with a decreased risk of diabetes compared with decreasing rates of change, suggesting SHBG may affect glucose through a mechanism beyond androgenicity.