Association between Lipid Profile, Anthropometric Parameters, and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2015–2023

Abstract

Background & Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication, affecting approximately 6–9% of pregnancies in United States alone. Women who develop GDM are at higher risk for future Type-II diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examined the association of sociodemographic factors, lipid profiles, and anthropometric measures with GDM history in nationally representative sample.

Methodology: This cross-sectional secondary data analysis used publicly available data from U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), collected from civilian, non-institutionalized population of United States during 2015–2023. Sample included parous women aged 20–44 years, with GDM status defined by self-report of physician-diagnosed diabetes first occurring during pregnancy. Women with and without history of GDM were compared using survey-weighted statistical tests and multivariable log-binomial regression.

Results: Among 4,504 women analyzed, 8.9% reported history of GDM. Higher education and greater parity, particularly having two or more children, were strongly associated with GDM. Women with GDM had markedly higher prevalence of diabetes. While association between GDM history and abnormal lipid levels was not scientifically significant, obesity and central adiposity were considerably higher in the GDM group, indicating increased metabolic association.

Conclusions: In this nationally representative sample, history of GDM was associated with greater adiposity and higher prevalence of diabetes, while no clear statistically significant association was observed with abnormal lipid levels. These findings suggest that women with prior GDM may represent higher-risk group for future cardiometabolic health problems and may benefit from continued metabolic risk assessment and follow-up after pregnancy.