Low intakes of energy, folate, iron, and calcium of child-bearing Korean women

Abstract

Nutritional status in pre-pregnancy greatly affects pregnancy outcomes. Recently, young child-bearing women in Korea have tended to restrict their diets for the purpose of weight control. The purpose of this study was to examine the energy and nutrient intakes of child-bearing women. The subjects were a total of 91 female residents (16- to 49-years-old) of Gwangju, Korea, who were neither pregnant nor lactating. The mean body mass index (BMI) of all the subjects was 21.4±2.2. Among them, 27% of the teens and 45% of the women in their twenties were underweight (BMI < 20). Energy intake of all subjects was 1638±471 kcal/day, which is 81.4% of the Korean recommended dietary allowances (RDA). About half of the teens and 60% of those in their twenties consumed less than 1500 kcal/day. Mean folate, iron, and calcium consumption of all the subjects were 204± 92 μg/day, 10.3±4.3 mg/ day, and 518±238 mg/day, respectively. These represented only 81.7%, 57.2%, and 72.6% of RDA, respectively. Nutrient intakes of the women in their teens and twenties did not satisfy the RDA. Energy intakes were significantly positively related to folate, iron, and calcium intakes. In summary, for child-bearing women, increased bioavailability of folate, iron, and calcium with increasing energy intake is absolutely needed, and nutritional education is also important to raise the intakes of these nutrients.