Diet quality during pregnancy is not associated with adequate gestational weight gain (810.25)

Abstract

The gestational weight gain (GWG) guidelines of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) aim to improve birth outcomes while reducing pregnancy complications. The GWG guidelines are set based on the prepregnancy weight status and optimal rate of weight gain at different trimesters of pregnancy. Dietary references intakes (DRIs) of the IOM are also set for each trimester of pregnancy for energy intake and other essential nutrients by age of expecting mothers, but without accounting prepregnancy weights. In this cross‐sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that diet quality during pregnancy is positively associated with attaining adequate GWG at different stages of pregnancy. Diet quality during pregnancy was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index of 2005 (HEI‐2005) from 24‐h recall data of 490 pregnant women (16‐43 y) included in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003‐2006. Logistic regression models were used to investigate if HEI‐2005 is a determinant of GWG status at different trimesters of pregnancy after controlling for age, trimester of gestation, race/ethnicity, education level, marital status, family poverty income ratio, daily supplement use, physical activity, and prepregnancy BMI. We found that HEI‐2005 scores of diets consumed during pregnancy could not serve as a determinant of adequate GWG. However, inadequate intake of total vegetables (OR 3.8, CI 1.1‐13.2, p=0.03) and oils (OR 2.8, CI 1.2‐6.4, p=0.02) which are components of HEI‐2005 scores was associated with excessive GWG after covariates were controlled. Although adequate GWG was not associated with diet quality as measured by HEI‐2005 during pregnancy in this study, comprehensive prenatal counseling including nutrition is important to reduce adverse birth outcomes.