Effectiveness of a minimally processed food-based nutritional counselling intervention on weight gain in overweight pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a nutritional counselling intervention based on encouraging the consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods, rather than ultra-processed products, and the practice of physical activities to prevent excessive gestational weight gain in overweight pregnant women. METHODS: This was a two-armed, parallel, randomized controlled trial conducted in primary health units of a Brazilian municipality from 2018 to 2021. Overweight, adult pregnant women (n = 350) were randomly assigned to control (CG) or intervention groups (IG). The intervention consisted of three individualized nutritional counselling sessions based on encouraging the consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods rather than ultra-processed products, following the NOVA food classification system, and the practice of physical activities. The primary outcome was the proportion of women whose weekly gestational weight gain (GWG) exceeded the Institute of Medicine guidelines. Adjusted logistic regression models were employed. RESULTS: Complete data on weight gain were available for 121 women of the IG and 139 of the CG. In modified intention-to-treat analysis, there was a lower chance of the IG women having excessive GWG [OR 0.56 (95% CI 0.32, 0.98), p = .04], when compared to the CG. No between-group differences were observed for the other maternal outcomes investigated. CONCLUSION: The present study was unprecedented in demonstrating that nutritional counselling based on the NOVA food classification system, together with encouraging the practice of physical activity, is effective in preventing excessive weight gain in overweight pregnant women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered on July 30th 2018 at Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR-2w9bhc).

[Maternal factors associated with habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods during pregnancy]. / Fatores maternos associados ao consumo usual de alimentos ultraprocessados na gestação.

The scope of the study was to investigate the relationship between maternal sociodemographic, obstetric and lifestyle characteristics and the habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods. It included a cross-sectional study of n = 784 pregnant women attended by the Unified Health System. Diet was estimated using two 24-hour recall surveys, using the multiple-pass method. Ultra-processed foods were classified using the UN NOVA food classification and their habitual consumption was expressed as the contribution to the total energy percentage. Adjusted linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between maternal characteristics and the percentage of energy (%E) derived from ultra-processed foods. The %E of ultra-processed foods in the diet was 32.1%. Maternal age (-0.45[-0.62; -0.29] p < 0.001), economic bracket D+E in relation to A+B (-2.95[-5.59; -0.32] p = 0.03) and energy underreporting (-6.95[-8.86; -5.04] p < 0.001) were inversely associated with the %E of ultra-processed foods, whereas the pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) (0.41[0.22; 0.60] p < 0.001) was directly associated. This would suggest that maternal age, economic status, energy underreporting and pre-gestational anthropometric status are associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods during pregnancy.

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a relação entre as características sociodemográficas, obstétricas e de estilo de vida maternas e o consumo usual de alimentos ultraprocessados. Estudo transversal, n = 784 gestantes, assistidas pelo Sistema Único de Saúde. A dieta foi estimada utilizando dois inquéritos recordatórios de 24 horas, pelo método de passagens múltiplas. Os alimentos ultraprocessados foram classificados empregando-se a classificação NOVA e seu consumo usual foi expresso como a contribuição no percentual energético total. Modelos de regressão linear ajustados foram empregados para investigar a relação entre as características maternas e o percentual energético proveniente (%E) de ultraprocessados. O %E de ultraprocessados na dieta foi de 32,1%. A idade materna (-0,45 [-0,62; -0,29] p < 0,001), estrato econômico D+E em relação a A+B (-2,95 [-5,59; -0,32] p = 0,03) e sub-relato energético (-6,95 [-8,86; -5,04] p < 0,001) foram inversamente associados ao %E de ultraprocessados, enquanto o índice de massa corporal (IMC) pré-gestacional (0,41 [0,22; 0,60] p < 0,001) foi diretamente associado. Sugere-se que a idade materna, o estrato econômico, a subnotificação energética e o estado antropométrico pré-gestacional estejam associados ao consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados durante a gestação.

Relationship between diet quality and biochemical profile in Brazilian overweight pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the Adapted Diet Quality Index for Pregnant Women (IQDAG) and the biochemical profile of overweight pregnant adult women. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, using baseline data from a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted with 239 pregnant women in Brazil. The usual diet was obtained through two dietary recalls and the Multiple Source Method. Diet quality was assessed using the IQDAG, which has nine components: eight for adequacy and one for moderation. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triacylglycerols, and C-reactive protein were measured to evaluate the biochemical profile. Adjusted linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between the score of the IQDAG (and its components) and the biochemical profile. The significance level considered was P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The mean index score was 75.4 points. An inverse association was observed between the consumption of legumes and total cholesterol level (ß = -4.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], -9.16 to -0.35; P = 0.03) and low-density lipoprotein (ß = -4.13; 95% CI, -7.56 to -0.69; P = 0.02), and a direct association between calcium intake and total cholesterol (ß = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.002-0.41; P = 0.03). No other associations were observed between the investigated variables. CONCLUSIONS: The data from the present study suggest that higher consumption of legumes is associated with lower levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. A higher intake of calcium was directly associated with total cholesterol . Further research is required to fully understand how diet quality affects pregnant women's biochemical profiles and what that means for the health of the mother and the fetus.

Fatores maternos associados ao consumo usual de alimentos ultraprocessados na gestação / Maternal factors associated with habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods during pregnancy

Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a relação entre as características sociodemográficas, obstétricas e de estilo de vida maternas e o consumo usual de alimentos ultraprocessados. Estudo transversal, n = 784 gestantes, assistidas pelo Sistema Único de Saúde. A dieta foi estimada utilizando dois inquéritos recordatórios de 24 horas, pelo método de passagens múltiplas. Os alimentos ultraprocessados foram classificados empregando-se a classificação NOVA e seu consumo usual foi expresso como a contribuição no percentual energético total. Modelos de regressão linear ajustados foram empregados para investigar a relação entre as características maternas e o percentual energético proveniente (%E) de ultraprocessados. O %E de ultraprocessados na dieta foi de 32,1%. A idade materna (-0,45 [-0,62; -0,29] p < 0,001), estrato econômico D+E em relação a A+B (-2,95 [-5,59; -0,32] p = 0,03) e sub-relato energético (-6,95 [-8,86; -5,04] p < 0,001) foram inversamente associados ao %E de ultraprocessados, enquanto o índice de massa corporal (IMC) pré-gestacional (0,41 [0,22; 0,60] p < 0,001) foi diretamente associado. Sugere-se que a idade materna, o estrato econômico, a subnotificação energética e o estado antropométrico pré-gestacional estejam associados ao consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados durante a gestação.

Abstract The scope of the study was to investigate the relationship between maternal sociodemographic, obstetric and lifestyle characteristics and the habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods. It included a cross-sectional study of n = 784 pregnant women attended by the Unified Health System. Diet was estimated using two 24-hour recall surveys, using the multiple-pass method. Ultra-processed foods were classified using the UN NOVA food classification and their habitual consumption was expressed as the contribution to the total energy percentage. Adjusted linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between maternal characteristics and the percentage of energy (%E) derived from ultra-processed foods. The %E of ultra-processed foods in the diet was 32.1%. Maternal age (-0.45[-0.62; -0.29] p < 0.001), economic bracket D+E in relation to A+B (-2.95[-5.59; -0.32] p = 0.03) and energy underreporting (-6.95[-8.86; -5.04] p < 0.001) were inversely associated with the %E of ultra-processed foods, whereas the pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) (0.41[0.22; 0.60] p < 0.001) was directly associated. This would suggest that maternal age, economic status, energy underreporting and pre-gestational anthropometric status are associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods during pregnancy.