Observational study on dietary patterns in pregnancy

Pregnancy nutrition influences the short-term maternal and fetal prognosis, but also the state of health in the future, an inadequate diet being associated with the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. The purpose of the study is to characterize the diet of a group of pregnant women in Iasi county in terms of macronutrient intake, but also food patterns. Material and methods. An observational study was performed on a sample of 400 pregnant women which consisted in the application of a validated food frequency questionnaire. The foods consumed were grouped into categories: meat, eggs, fish, milk and dairy products, bread and cereals, vegetables, fruits, soups, seeds and oilseeds, sweets and fast food. Factor analysis (main component analysis method) was used for the analysis of food patterns. Results. The average energy intake in the studied group was 2197 kcal/day (95% CI: 2139.57-2255.74). The intake of macronutrients during pregnancy was 86.01 g protein (95% CI: 83.64-88.39), 76.97 g lipids (95% CI: 74.59-79.35) and 297.12 g carbohydrate (95% Cl: 287.86-306.38). We identified 3 dietary patterns that explained 43.01% of the variation of consumption behaviour: healthy consumption, consisting of a diet rich in soups, fruits, eggs and vegetables; traditional consumption, which has high consumption values for bread, dairy, meat, fat and unhealthy consumption rich in the intake of sweets, fast food and seeds. Conclusions. The identified food patterns draw attention to the existence of a category at risk of developing pathology related to inadequate nutrition in pregnancy.