Abstract
Maternal diet quality influences birth outcomes. Yet, little research exists that
assesses women's diet quality during the first trimester of pregnancy, a crucial time
of placental and fetal development. This cross-sectional study, describing diet quality
and its relationship with stress, depression, social support, and eating habits in
the first trimester, may identify low-income women needing intensive dietary intervention.
Seventy-one low-income women completed validated instruments measuring stress, depression,
social support, and eating habits; had their height and weight measured; received
training on portion-size estimation; and completed three 24-hour dietary recalls (1
weekend day and 2 nonconsecutive weekdays) from July 2009 to February 2010. Comparative
and correlational analyses were done. Women with diet quality scores below the median
(n=35) had more depression (9.6±5.1 vs 6.7±5.1) and stress (22.1±5.4 vs 19.3±4.8)
and less control over meal preparation (5.0±1.5 vs 4.2±1.5) and support from others
(52.0±12.0 vs 57.4±7.2) than did women with high diet quality scores (n=36). Diet
quality was negatively related to depression (r=−0.41), stress (r=−0.35), skipping meals (r=−0.41), and control over meal preparation (r=−0.33), and positively related to support from others (r=0.38). Low-income women experiencing life stressors represent an at-risk group for
low diet quality and may need intensive dietary intervention before and during pregnancy.
More research designed to improve diet quality in low-income pregnant women is needed.
Keywords
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Biography
E. R. Fowles is retired; at the time of the study, she was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, Austin.
Biography
J. Stang is an associate professor, and chair of the Public Health Nutrition Program, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis.
Biography
M. Bryant is a research project coordinator, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA; at the time of the study, she was the project director, Nutrition in Pregnancy Study, University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, Austin.
Biography
S. Kim is an assistant professor, St Francis College, Brooklyn, NY; at the time of the study, he was a graduate research assistant, University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing, Austin.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 25, 2012
Accepted:
June 25,
2012
Footnotes
FUNDING/SUPPORT The project was supported by funding received from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research (1R21NR010592-01A1: Predictors of Dietary Quality in Low-Income Pregnant Women).
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
