The positive association between number of children and obesity in Iranian women and men: Results from the National Health Survey

Table 2 Obesity^a odds ratios, among 1364 Iranian couples in the GEE analysis, 1999–2000

Independent variables	Odds ratio	95% confidence interval
Number of children (female)^b	1.16	1.04–1.29
Number of children (male)^b	1.18	1.05–1.34
Age (female)	1.02	1.001–1.05
Age (male)	0.98	0.96–1.01
Economic index (female)	1.002	0.99–1.01
Economic index (male)	1.02	1.01–1.04
Active workforce (female)	0.25	0.10–0.60
Active workforce (male)	0.76	0.46–1.27
High education	0.60	0.37–0.97
Moderate education	0.76	0.59–0.96
Smoking	0.68	0.48–0.98
Resident in city	0.70	0.47–1.04
Male vs. female: Active workforce^c	1.21^d	0.32–4.56
Male vs. female: Nonactive workforce^c	0.40^e	0.16–1.00

^a Body mass index 30 (kg/m²) or greater
^bThe interaction terms were included as cross-products between sex and the predictors of interest(number of children, age, economic index and workforce level) therefore, different OR for male and female were obtained.
^cNumber of children, age and economic index were examined as continuous variables. Male vs. female OR evaluated at the overall mean number of children, age, and economic index.
^dAmong subjects with active level, the odds of obesity for men was1.21 times that for women.
^eAmong subjects with nonactive level, the odds of obesity for men was 0.40 times that for women.

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