Nutritional status and dietary intake of pregnant women.

Fernanda Scherer-Adami,Ioná Carreno,Michele Dutra-Rosolen,Francieli Schedler,Mabel N Alves

doi:10.15446/rsap.v22n1.72795

Fernanda Scherer-Adami, Ioná Carreno + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.15446/rsap.v22n1.72795

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Abstract

To evaluate weight gain during pregnancy according to the pregestational state in women who underwent prenatal care in Primary Health Care. A cross-sectional study with the participation of 255 pregnant women. Socioeconomic and demographic variables were collected using a structured questionnaire. Women were evaluated for nutritional status and dietary intake. Data related to the age of the pregnant woman, gestational week, current weight, pregestational weight, and height were obtained from the prenatal follow-up form. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for statistical analysis. Pregestational nutritional status assessment showed that 43.2% (n=110) of the women started gestation with overweight and 4.3% (n=11) started with low weight. 51% percent (n=130) gained gestational weight above the recommended level. The mean age of women with pregestational BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 was significantly higher than that of those with BMI <25 kg/rrP (p<0.001). Total energy (p=0.037) and calcium (p=0.004) intake were higher in women with weight gain above the recommended. The results presented highlight the importance of strategies in public health to avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy. Pregnant women presented a gestational weight gain above the recommended maximum value according to pregestational BMI, which may contribute to adverse maternal and infant outcomes.

Highlights

In view of the above, the objective of this study was to evaluate weight gain during gestation according to the pregestational state, observing the food intake, in women who underwent prenatal care in the Primary Health Care (PHC) of a city in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach on the nutritional status and dietary intake of pregnant women attended at PHC
Data were collected in a reserved room in the Basic Health Unit (BHU), and a structured questionnaire was applied containing the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the participants: number of pregnancies, family income, number of people living in the household, schooling, current occupation, and marital status
Pregestational nutritional status assessment showed that 43.2% (n=110) of the women started gestation with overweight, and 4.3% (n=11) started with low weight

Summary

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach on the nutritional status and dietary intake of pregnant women attended at PHC. All pregnant women attended at PHC in 2012, regardless of maternal and gestational age, were invited to participate. Participants were informed about the study procedures and those who agreed to participate signed the free and informed consent form. Data were collected in a reserved room in the Basic Health Unit (BHU), and a structured questionnaire was applied containing the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the participants: number of pregnancies, family income, number of people living in the household, schooling, current occupation, and marital status. Data related to the age of the pregnant woman, gestational week, current weight, pregestational weight, and height were obtained from the prenatal follow-up form

Results

Discussion

Conclusion