Table 1 Demographic and anthropometric characteristics of urban and rural mothers on postnatal wards

Age, years

26.0 ± 4.2

26.9 ± 3.7

25.0 ± 4.5

0.001

Weight pre-pregnancy, kg

50.5 ± 6.8

51.1 ± 6.9

49.8 ± 6.7

0.193

Height, m

1.58 ± 0.05

1.59 ± 0.05

1.57 ± 0.05

0.006

BMI ^a, pre-pregnancy, (kg/m²)

20.35 ± 2.65

20.33 ± 2.54

20.36 ± 2.78

0.943

BMI <18.5, n (%)

42 (22.2)

21 (21.9)

21 (22.6)

BMI 18.5 ~ 24.9, n (%)

137 (72.5)

71 (74.0)

66 (71.0)

BMI 25 ~ 29.9, n (%)

8 (4.2)

4 (2.1)

4 (4.3)

BMI ≥30, n (%)

2 (1.1)

0

2 (2.2)

Parity

1.12 ± 0.33

1.09 ± 0.29

1.16 ± 0.37

0.151

Education

≤12 years (senior high school), n (%)

141(70.9)

55 (53.9)

86 (88.7)

<0.001

>12 years (i.e. university or above), n (%)

58 (29.1)

47 (46.1)

11 (11.3)

Monthly income, RMB ^b

2683 ± 2542

3074 ± 3086

2241 ± 1648

0.026