Brazilian Maternal and Child Nutrition Consortium: establishment, data harmonization and basic characteristics
Thaís Rangel Bousquet Carrilho, Dayana Rodrigues Farias, Mônica Araújo Batalha, Nathalia Costa, Kathleen M. Rasmussen, Michael Eduardo Reichenheim, Eric O. Ohuma, Jennifer A. Hutcheon, Gilberto Kac, Adauto Emmerich Oliveira, Ana Paula Esteves‐Pereira, Ana Paula Sayuri Sato, Antônio Augusto Moura da Sílva, Bárbara Miranda Ferreira Costa, Cláudia Leite de Moraes, Cláudia Saunders, Cristina Maria Garcia de Lima Pàrada, Daniela da Silva Rocha, Denise Petrucci Gigante, Edson Theodoro dos Santos Neto, Elisa Maria de Aquino Lacerda, Elizabeth Fujimori, Fernanda Garanhani Surita, Isaac Suzart Gomes‐Filho, Isabel Oliveira Bierhals, Jane de Carlos Santana Capelli, José Guilherme Cecatti, Juliana dos Santos Vaz, Juraci Almeida César, Marco Fábio Mastroeni, Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite Carvalhães, Mariângela Freitas da Silveira, Marlos Rodrigues Domingues, Mayra Pacheco Fernandes, Michele Drehmer, Mylena Gonzalez, Patrícia de Carvalho Padilha, Renato Passini, Renato T. Souza, Ronaldo Fernandes Santos Alves, Rosângela Fernandes Lucena Batista, Silmara Salete de Barros Silva Mastroeni, Sílvia Regina Dias Médici Saldiva, Simone Seixas da Cruz, Sirlei Siani Moráis, Sotero Serrate Mengue
Abstract
Pooled data analysis in the field of maternal and child nutrition rarely incorporates data from low- and middle-income countries and existing studies lack a description of the methods used to harmonize the data and to assess heterogeneity. We describe the creation of the Brazilian Maternal and Child Nutrition Consortium dataset, from multiple pooled longitudinal studies, having gestational weight gain (GWG) as an example. Investigators of the eligible studies published from 1990 to 2018 were invited to participate. We conducted consistency analysis, identified outliers, and assessed heterogeneity for GWG. Outliers identification considered the longitudinal nature of the data. Heterogeneity was performed adjusting multilevel models. We identified 68 studies and invited 59 for this initiative. Data from 29 studies were received, 21 were retained for analysis, resulting in a final sample of 17,344 women with 72,616 weight measurements. Fewer than 1% of all weight measurements were flagged as outliers. Women with pre-pregnancy obesity had lower values for GWG throughout pregnancy. GWG, birth length and weight were similar across the studies and remarkably similar to a Brazilian nationwide study. Pooled data analyses can increase the potential of addressing important questions regarding maternal and child health, especially in countries where research investment is limited.