Higher Gravidity Is Associated With Increased Obesity Markers in Korean Women: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background and Objectives:The impact of gravidity on cardiovascular health is unclear, particularly in the Korean population.Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between gravidity and cardiovascular risk factors in Korean adult women.Methods: We analyzed data from women aged 20-80 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2019 and 2021.Gravidity was assessed through self-reported data.A 1:1 age-matched analysis was performed according to gravidity: lower gravidity (<4) (n=2,156) and higher gravidity (4) (n=2,156).Results: Participants with higher gravidity had a higher body mass index (BMI) (24.23.6 vs. 23.73.5 kg/m 2 ; p<0.001) and waist circumference (WC) (83.29.6 vs. 81.89.6 cm; p<0.001).Other cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, and major laboratory results, did not significantly differ between the two groups (p>0.05 for each).As gravidity increased, BMI and WC values also increased gradually (p<0.001).Multiple linear regression confirmed that gravidity was independently associated with BMI and WC (p<0.001 for each).Conclusions: Higher gravidity is associated with increased BMI and WC, indicating a higher burden of overall and central obesity among Korean women with more pregnancies.These findings highlight the importance of considering reproductive history in cardiovascular risk assessment.