Poster Presentation ANZOS-ASLM-ICCR 2019

A comparison of the dietary intake of pregnant women attending a Western Sydney antenatal service with national guidelines (#182)

Gilly Rosic 1 2 , Sally Badorrek 3 , Tian Wang 4 , Kathryn Williams 3 5
  1. NFMHS, Nepean Hospital, Kingswood, NSW, Australia
  2. Charles Perkin Centre - Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. NFMHS, Nepean Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Charles Perkin Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney
  5. Charles Perkin Centre - Nepean, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background: Good nutrition during pregnancy is critical for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes1-3.There are a lack of studies investigating the dietary intake of pregnant women in Australia, and more specifically, in areas of high-risk for obesity and nutritional deficiencies such as Western Sydney4.

Aim: The aim of this study was to collect the self-reported dietary intake data of pregnant women attending Nepean hospital and compare findings with existing published data.

Method: A survey was designed to collect current dietary intake of pregnant women, including self-reported anthropometric measures, dietary intake, food security and food safety questions. After giving informed consent, participants chose to complete the survey, either on paper or electronically. Descriptive analysis was performed using Excel to describe the cohorts under study. The number and percentage of women meeting national recommendations were determined and compared with published data5-8. Common dietary changes made on establishment of pregnancy were grouped and reported.

Results: A total of 195 participants were recruited for the study over 5 consecutive days in January 2019. The results are displayed in Tables 1, 2 and 3. More than half of pregnant women reported dietary changes after pregnancy. The common changes included eating healthier diets, avoiding unsafe foods (e.g. soft cheeses) and decreasing carbohydrate consumption (with a few participants reported on keto diets).

Table 1. Demographic and Pregnancy-related characteristics of participants

Maternal age (years), meanSD (range)

30.05.6 (18.0-44.0)

Gestational age (weeks), median (IQR)

30 (21-35)

Trimester of pregnancy1

1st trimester, %(number)

2.1(4)

2nd trimester, % (number)

9.8 (19)

3rd trimester, %(number)

88.1(171)

Pre-pregnancy BMI by self-report (kg/m2)

Median (IQR)

26.5 (21.9-33.8)

Underweight, %(number)

0.6(1)

Normal, %(number)

41.8(67)

Overweight, %(number)

22.8(36)

Obese, %(number)

34.8(58)

11st trimester defined as ‘gestational week < 12’, 2nd trimester defined as ‘gestational week ≥ 12 weeks and < 24’, 3rd trimester defined as ‘gestational week ≥ 24’

2Underweight defined as ‘BMI < 18.5kg/m2’, Normal defined as ‘BMI 18.5 – 24.9kg/m2’, Overweight defined as ‘BMI > 25kg/m2’, Obese defined as ‘BMI > 30kg/m2’

 

Table 2. The comparison of % of participants meeting Dietary Guidelines with National Survey and Lenka study

Food Groups

This study (n = 187)

National Survey9 (n = 12000)

Lenka study8 (n = 857)

Grain (cereal) foods

1 %

30 %

4 %

Vegetables and legumes

3 %

< 4 %

10 %

Fruit

62 %

31 %

56 %

Dairy

23 %

10 %

29 %

Lean meat and poultry

4.9 %

14 %

2 %

Discretionary foods

79 %

-

90 %

 

Table 3. The existence of food insecurity, and the importance of food price and food labeling in food purchasing

Food insecurity reported, %(number)

14.8%(27)

Importance of food price in food purchasing, %(number)

43.6%(79)

Importance of nutrition information in food purchasing, %(number)

18.9%(34)

 

Discussion: The study revealed the dietary intake of pregnant women in a western Sydney antenatal clinic. Overall, it showed that their intake was inadequate in nutrition, when compared to national recommendations. 

References:(see below)

 

  1. Osmond C and D.J.P. Barker, Fetal, infant, and childhood growth are predictors of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension in adult men and women. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2000. 108: p. 545-553.
  2. Virtual Medical Centre, Under-Nutrition Before and During Pregnancy [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2018 Dec 2]. Available from: https://www.myvmc.com/pregnancy/under-nutrition-before-and-during-pregnancy/
  3. Salah R. A, Mostafa A. A. E, Osman A. M and Hesham M. E, Prepregnancy Obesity and Pregnancy Outcome. International Journal of Health Sciences, 2009. 3(2): p. 203-208.
  4. NSW GOVERMENT, About Our Region [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2019 Jan 26]. Available from: https://www.nbmlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/about-us/about-our-region
  5. National Health and Medical Research Council, RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF SERVES FOR ADULTS [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2019 Jan 27]. Available from: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-adults
  6. Australian Bureau of Statistics, DAILY INTAKE OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES [Internet]. National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15. 2015 [cited 2018 Nov 21]. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.001~2014-15~Main%20Features~Daily%20intake%20of%20fruit%20and%20vegetables~28
  7. Khlood B, Heather Y and Moria W, Exploring Australian women’s level of nutrition knowledge during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Women’s Health, 2016. 8: p. 405-419.
  8. LENKA M, Exploring the nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women in Australia. The University of Adelaide, 2015.
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics [Internet]. Australian Health Survey: Consumption of Food Groups from the Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2011-12. 2016 [cited 2019 Jan 26]. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.012~2011-12~Main%20Features~Key%20Findings~1