Childbirth Linked to Lower NAFLD Risk in Premenopausal Women, Study Finds
South Korea: A nationwide Korean cohort study published in Scientific Reports has identified a potential protective effect of childbirth against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in premenopausal women. Conducted by Kyung Mook Choi and colleagues from the Korea University College of Medicine, the research explored the association between parity and NAFLD risk using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).
The study analyzed records of 28,003 women, comprising 13,145 premenopausal and 14,858 postmenopausal participants. NAFLD was determined using the hepatic steatosis index, and multivariable logistic regression was employed to account for confounding factors, such as obesity and metabolic parameters. The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 21%, with 15.3% in premenopausal and 26.1% in postmenopausal women.
The study revealed the following findings:
- In premenopausal women, parity initially showed an increased risk of NAFLD in unadjusted models (OR 1.72).
- After adjusting for obesity and metabolic factors, parity demonstrated a protective effect against NAFLD.
- Women with one or two births had a 41% lower risk (OR 0.59) compared to those who had never given birth.
- Women with three or more births had a 36% lower risk (OR 0.64).
- The protective association remained consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses.
- No significant link was found between parity and NAFLD in postmenopausal women, indicating that hormonal or metabolic changes after menopause may influence the relationship.
- Maintaining a healthy weight and a favorable metabolic profile after pregnancy may contribute to the reduced risk of NAFLD in premenopausal women.
- Since premenopausal women have longer life expectancy, preventing NAFLD in this group is crucial to lowering future liver-related and cardiometabolic complications.
- Identifying protective factors, like childbirth, can play a key role in shaping preventive strategies for NAFLD.
The researchers emphasize the need for further studies to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying this association and to determine whether these findings apply to other populations beyond Korea. They also highlight the importance of promoting metabolic health after childbirth to sustain the potential protective benefit against NAFLD.
In summary, the study found that childbirth was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD in premenopausal women, independent of obesity and other metabolic factors. The risk reduction was consistent across different parity levels, with both low and high parity groups showing significant benefits. No such association was observed among postmenopausal women, emphasizing the potential influence of reproductive and hormonal factors on liver health. These findings suggest that maintaining metabolic well-being after pregnancy could play a key role in reducing NAFLD risk during the premenopausal years.
Reference:
Hong, S., Hwang, S. Y., Yu, J. H., Kim, N. H., Yoo, H. J., Seo, J. A., Kim, S. G., Kim, N. H., Baik, S. H., & Choi, K. M. (2025). The impact of parity on the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease defined by hepatic steatosis index: A nationwide cohort study. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11976-x
