Adherence to nutritional guidelines in pregnancy: evidence from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort study. Issue 9 (9th April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morton, Susan MB; Grant, Cameron C; Wall, Clare R; Carr, Polly E Atatoan; Bandara, Dinusha K; Schmidt, Johanna M; Ivory, Vivienne; Inskip, Hazel M; Camargo, Carlos A
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 17:Issue 9(2014)
• Page Start: 1919
• Page End: 1929
• Publication Date: 2014-04-09
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014000482
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="abs1" sec-type="general"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To determine adherence to nutritional guidelines by pregnant women in New Zealand and maternal characteristics associated with adherence.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs2" sec-type="general"> <title>Design</title> <p>A cohort of the pregnant women enrolled into New Zealand's new birth cohort study, Growing Up in New Zealand.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs3" sec-type="general"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Women residing within a North Island region of New Zealand, where one-third of the national population lives.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs4" sec-type="subjects"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Pregnant women (<italic>n</italic> 5664) were interviewed during 2009–2010. An FFQ was administered during the face-to-face interview.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs5" sec-type="results"> <title>Results</title> <p>The recommended daily number of servings of vegetables and fruit (≥6) were met by 25 % of the women; of breads and cereals (≥6) by 26 %; of milk and milk products (≥3) by 58 %; and of lean meat, meat alternatives and eggs (≥2) by 21 %. One in four women did not meet the recommendations for any food group. Only 3 % met all four food group recommendations. Although adherence to recommendation for the vegetables/fruit group did not vary by ethnicity (<italic>P</italic>=0·38), it did vary for the breads/cereals, milk/milk products and meat/eggs groups (all <italic>P</italic><0·001). Adherence to recommendations for the vegetables/fruit group was higher among older women (<italic>P</italic>=0·001); for the breads/cereals group was higher for women with previous children (<italic>P</italic><0·001) and from lower-income households (<italic>P</italic><0·001); and for the meat/eggs group was higher for women with previous children (<italic>P</italic>=0·003) and from lower-income households (<italic>P</italic>=0·004).</p> </sec> <sec id="abs6" sec-type="conclusions"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Most pregnant women in New Zealand do not adhere to nutritional guidelines in pregnancy, with only 3 % meeting the recommendations for all four food groups. Adherence varies more so with ethnicity than with other sociodemographic characteristics.</p> </sec> </abstract>