Diet, Pre-pregnancy BMI, and Gestational Weight Gain in Puerto Rican Women.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the dietary patterns in pregnant woman and determine the association between diet factors, pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) and socio-demographic characteristics with gestational weight gain (GWG). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study of pregnant women exploring the risk factors for preterm birth, the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats program. Recruitment was conducted during 2011-2014. Data was collected from multiple sources. GWG was calculated using maternal weight recorded in the medical records at the first and last prenatal visits and classified according to the Institute of Medicine guidelines. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained at baseline using an interviewed-based questionnaire. Participants completed a self-administered food frequency questionnaire at 20-28 weeks to assess dietary patterns. Analysis of associations between variables was conducted using Chi Square tests. RESULTS: A total of 160 women with term pregnancies were included in this analysis. Mean pre-pregnancy BMI was 25.4 ± 5.48 kg/m(2), with 44.4 % classified as overweight/obese. Excessive GWG was observed in 24.4 % of the participants. Socio-demographic characteristics were not associated with GWG. Being overweight/obese at the start of pregnancy was significantly associated with excessive GWG (p < 0.05). In addition, women consuming one or more fruit drinks per day were more likely to have an excessive GWG while those consuming less than one fruit drink per day were more likely to have an adequate GWG (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Being obese before pregnancy and frequently consuming fruit drinks were important determinants of excessive GWG in this group.

Association between maternal diet factors and hemoglobin levels, glucose tolerance, blood pressure and gestational age in a Hispanic population.

The aim of this study was to describe the dietary patterns of pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico and explore associations between diet factors with pregnancy related measurements. This analysis is based on the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT), a prospective cohort that is studying environmental risk factors for preterm births in PR. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) around 20-28 weeks of gestation. The following pregnancy related measures were collected from the medical records: hemoglobin, blood glucose, blood pressure and gestational age. Potential associations between diet factors and pregnancy measures were assessed using chi square analysis with SPSS. A total of 180 participants completed the FFQ; low hemoglobin levels was found in 19.2%, high blood glucose levels was found in 21.1% by fasting blood glucose test and 24.6%by 1-hour 50 g oral glucose screening test, high blood pressure was found in 2.9% (systolic) and 6.5% (diastolic), and pre-term birth was found in 10.4% of the participants. High consumption of rice, desserts and sweets was associated with higher levels of fasting blood glucose levels (p < 0.05), while high consumption of vegetables was associated with higher 1-hour glucose challenge test (p < 0.05).No other significant associations were found. In conclusion, consumption of high dense energy food diets in pregnancy, such as rice, sweets and desserts, can lead to high levels of blood glucose and can be a potential predictor of other pregnancy complications during pregnancy in these study participants, such as gestational diabetes.

Association between maternal diet factors and hemoglobin levels, glucose tolerance, blood pressure and gestational age in a Hispanic population / Asociación entre los factores de la dieta y los niveles de hemoglobina, tolerancia a la glucosa, presión arterial y edad gestacional en una población hispana

The aim of this study was to describe the dietary patterns of pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico and explore associations between diet factors with pregnancy related measurements. This analysis is based on the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT), a prospective cohort that is studying environmental risk factors for preterm births in PR. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) around 20-28 weeks of gestation. The following pregnancy related measures were collected from the medical records: hemoglobin, blood glucose, blood pressure and gestational age. Potential associations between diet factors and pregnancy measures were assessed using chi square analysis with SPSS. A total of 180 participants completed the FFQ; low hemoglobin levels was found in 19.2%, high blood glucose levels was found in 21.1% by fasting blood glucose test and 24.6%by 1-hour 50 g oral glucose screening test, high blood pressure was found in 2.9% (systolic) and 6.5% (diastolic), and pre-term birth was found in 10.4% of the participants. High consumption of rice, desserts and sweets was associated with higher levels of fasting blood glucose levels (p<0.05), while high consumption of vegetables was associated with higher 1-hour glucose challenge test (p<0.05).No other significant associations were found. In conclusion, consumption of high dense energy food diets in pregnancy, such as rice, sweets and desserts, can lead to high levels of blood glucose and can be a potential predictor of other pregnancy complications during pregnancy in these study participants, such as gestational diabetes.

El objetivo de este estudio fue describir los hábitos alimentarios de mujeres embarazadas en Puerto Rico y explorar la asociación entre factores dietarios y medidas del embarazo. Este fue un análisis de datos basado en un estudio de cohorte prospectivo (PROTECT), que estudia los factores de riesgo ambientales para el embarazo pre-término en mujeres embarazadas. Las participantes completaron un cuestionario de frecuencia alimentaria (FFQ) en las semanas 20-28 de gestación. Los niveles de hemoglobina, glucosa en sangre, presión arterial y edad gestacional se recogieron de expediente médicos. Posibles asociaciones entre factores dietéticos y las medidas del embarazo fueron evaluadas usando Ji cuadrado en SPSS. Un total de 180 participantes completaron el FFQ; 19,2% tuvo bajos niveles de hemoglobina, 21.1% tuvo niveles altos de glucemia por prueba de glucosa en ayunas y 24,6% por prueba de tolerancia a la glucosa de 1 hora; la hipertensión arterial fue encontrada en 2,9% (sistólica) y 6,5% (diastólica) y nacimiento prematuro fue encontrado en 10,4%. Un alto consumo de arroz, postres y dulces se asoció con mayores niveles de glucosa en ayunas (p<0,05), mientras que el alto consumo de vegetales se asoció con mayor nivel de la prueba de tolerancia a la glucosa (p<0,05). No se encontró ninguna otra asociación significativa. En conclusión, el consumo de alimentos de alta densidad energética en el embarazo como arroz, postres y dulces pueden elevar los niveles de glucosa en sangre, lo cual puede ser un predictor potencial de complicaciones en el embarazo en estas participantes, como diabetes gestacional.