Healthy eating during pregnancy and the year after giving birth may be uncommon in the United States, suggests a study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and other institutions. On a scale from “A” to “F,” study participants received a grade of “D” on a measure of healthy eating. However, eating habits remained stable during pregnancy and after, with scores changing little during the six times participants were questioned during the study. The authors concluded that their results suggest a need to improve diet quality during and after pregnancy.
The study was conducted by Leah Lipsky, Ph.D., of the NICHD Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, and colleagues. It appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Background
Nutrition during and after pregnancy is important for the health of the mother and child. Research suggests that during and after pregnancy, most women consume too much fat and sugar and not enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, few studies have assessed overall diet quality during and after pregnancy. Information on diet quality during and after pregnancy is needed to identify those at risk for inadequate nutrition and to develop interventions to help them.
Results
For the current study, researchers analyzed data from 383 participants in a previous study. During study visits, participants in a North Carolina health care system provided information on what they ate for the previous day during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after giving birth.
Researchers scored participant responses according to the Healthy Eating Index, a measure of how closely someone’s diet adheres to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Healthy Eating Index gauges consumption of healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, greens, legumes, and whole grains, as well as foods that should be consumed in moderation, such as refined grains, sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats. Healthy Eating Index scores range from 0 to 100 and are expressed in a graded approach, with 90 to 100 equivalent to an A, 80 to 89 equivalent to a B, 70 to 79 a C, and 60 to 69 a D.
The group’s average was 61.4 during pregnancy and 61.7 in the year after pregnancy—both low Ds. The highest scores were seen in participants with a college degree (64.7 in pregnancy and 66.4 post pregnancy) and among non-Hispanic whites (64.7 in pregnancy and 66.4 post pregnancy). Participants’ scores were consistent throughout the study, with only minor variations between visits.
Significance
The authors noted that low diet quality scores were present among all groups in the study, which reflects an urgent need for widespread improvement.
Reference
Lipsky, LM, et al. Diet quality from early pregnancy through 1-y postpartum: a prospective cohort study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.016 (2024)
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