Reproductive history and body mass index in black and white women.

The relationships of timing, spacing, number of births, and demographic variables to body mass index were examined in 844 white and 289 black women. Subjects were interviewed in 1978-1979 as mothers or female guardians of a stratified random sample of all Minneapolis children in grades 1-3. Results indicate that among black and white women, number of births, age at last birth, and years between first and last births were positively associated with body mass index. However, when age, education, and income were included in the regression equation for black women, none of the reproductive variables predicted body mass index. When number of births, age at last birth, and years between first and last birth were included in the same regression for white women, only number of births was independently associated with body mass index.