Generational differences in associations between health conditions in young women and BMI categories
Authors' conclusion
The health impacts of increasing BMI are not lessened in more recent generations. This evidence can be used to promote the benefits of normal BMI for young women.
Study context
- Population
- Young women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, reporting weight and height at ages 18–23, 22–27 and 25–30 years
- Exposure
- BMI categories and recent vs earlier generation
- Outcome
- Fair or poor self-rated health
Methodological detailstwo birth cohorts, repeated measures, logistic regression with generalized estimating equations
- Two birth cohorts
- Repeated measures
- Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Underweightvs Normal weight
1.51(1.30–1.74)
Overweightvs Normal weight
1.47(1.34–1.60)
Obesityvs Normal weight
3.04(2.76–3.35)
More recent cohorthigher for the more recent cohort
1.50(1.38–1.63)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Common conditions, menstrual symptoms, pregnancy complications
- This same pattern was apparent for all outcomes
Original publication
Generational differences in associations between health conditions in young women and BMI categories. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 13 May 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →