Food and nutrient intake and adherence to dietary recommendations during pregnancy: a Nordic mother–child population-based cohort.
Saunders, Carina Madelen; Rehbinder, Eva Maria; Carlsen, Karin C. Lødrup; Gudbrandsgard, Malèn; Carlsen, Kai-Håkon; Haugen, Guttorm; Hedlin, Gunilla; Jonassen, Christine M; Sjøborg, Katrine Dønvold; Landrø, Linn Aina Ysland; Nordlund, Björn; Rudi, Knut; Skjerven, Håvard Ove; Söderhäll, Cilla; Staff, Anne Cathrine; Vettukattil, Muhammad Riyas; Carlsen, Monica Hauger
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2686716Utgivelsesdato
2019Metadata
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Sammendrag
Background: A woman’s food intake during pregnancy has important implications not only for herself but also for the future health and well-being of her child. Suboptimal dietary quality has been consistently reported in many high-income countries, reflecting poor adherence to dietary guidelines. Objective: This study aimed to explore the intake of food and nutrients in a cohort of pregnant women in Norway and their adherence to Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) and Norwegian food-based guidelines (NFG). Design: We investigated the dietary intake in 1,674 pregnant women from the mother–child birth cohort, PreventADALL, recruited at approximately 18-week gestational age. Dietary intake was assessed by an electronic validated food frequency questionnaire (PrevFFQ) in the first half of pregnancy. Results: Total fat intake was within the recommended intake (RI) range in most women; however, the contribution of saturated fatty acids to the total energy intake was above RI in the majority (85.2%) of women. Carbohydrate intake was below RI in 43.9% of the women, and 69.5% exceeded the RI of salt. Intakes of fiber, vegetables, and fish were high in a large part of the population. Many women had a high probability of inadequate intakes of the following key micronutrients during pregnancy: folate (54.4%), iron (49.6%), calcium (36.2%), vitamin D (28.7%), iodine (24.4%), and selenium (41.3%). A total of 22.8% women reported an alcohol intake of >1 g/day, and 4.4% reported an alcohol intake of >10 g/day. Women with higher educational levels showed a tendency towards healthier eating habits, except for higher intakes of alcohol and coffee, compared to women with lower educational level. Discussion: Excessive saturated fat intake and limited intake of many important micronutrients during pregnancy were common, potentially increasing the risk for adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.
Conclusions: This study highlights the need for improved nutritional guidance to pregnant women across all educational levels.