Identifiable Dietary Patterns of Pregnant Women: A Canadian Sample
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
11 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose: To estimate the percentage of a sample of pregnant women in Canada following a vegetarian, vegan, low-carbohydrate, gluten-free, Mediterranean, or well-balanced diet, before and during pregnancy and to explore if pregnant women received and were satisfied with nutrition information received from health care providers (HCPs).
Methods: Participants were conveniently sampled through Facebook and Twitter. An online survey collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, maternal diet, and whether women received and were satisfied with nutrition information from their HCPs. The McNemar test assessed changes in the proportion of diets followed before and during pregnancy.
Results: Of 226 women, most followed a well-balanced diet before (76.9%) and during (72.9%) pregnancy (p = 0.26). Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, and low-carbohydrate diets were the least followed diets before and during pregnancy (vegetarian: 7.6% vs 5.3%; gluten-free: 4.9% vs 4.0%; vegan: 2.7% vs 2.2%; low-carbohydrate:4.0% vs 0.4%). Overall, the number of women following restrictive diets before pregnancy was significantly reduced throughout pregnancy (19.1% vs 12.0%, p < 0.001). Only 52.0% of women received nutrition information from their primary HCP, and 35.6% were satisfied with the nutrition information received.
Conclusions: Most women followed a well-balanced diet before and during pregnancy and approximately one-third were satisfied with the information received from HCPs.
Résumé
Objectif. Estimer le pourcentage d’un échantillon de femmes enceintes au Canada qui suivent un régime végétarien, végétalien, à faible teneur en glucides, sans gluten, méditerranéen ou équilibré, avant et pendant la grossesse, et déterminer si les femmes enceintes ont reçu de l’information nutritionnelle de la part de professionnels de la santé (PS) et si elles en étaient satisfaites.
Méthodes. L’échantillonnage des participantes s’est fait par l’entremise de Facebook et de Twitter. Un sondage en ligne a permis de recueillir des données sur les caractéristiques sociodémographiques et le régime alimentaire de la mère, et de savoir si les femmes ont reçu de l’information nutritionnelle de la part de leur PS et si elles en étaient satisfaites. Le test McNemar a permis d’évaluer les changements quant à la proportion des régimes alimentaires suivis avant et pendant la grossesse.
Résultats. Sur 226 femmes, la plupart avaient suivi un régime alimentaire équilibré avant (76,9 %) et pendant (72,9 %) la grossesse (p = 0,26). Les régimes végétariens, sans gluten, végétaliens et à faible teneur en glucides étaient les régimes les moins suivis avant et pendant la grossesse (végétarien : 7,6 % vs 5,3 %; sans gluten : 4,9 % vs 4,0 %; végétalien : 2,7 % vs 2,2 %; à faible teneur en glucides : 4,0 % vs 0,4 %). Dans l’ensemble, le nombre de femmes qui suivaient un régime restrictif avant la grossesse a été significativement réduit pendant la grossesse (19,1 % vs 12,0 %, p < 0,001). Seulement 52,0 % des femmes ont reçu de l’information nutritionnelle de la part de leur PS primaire, et 35,6 % étaient satisfaites de l’information reçue.
Conclusions. La plupart des femmes avaient une alimentation équilibrée avant et pendant la grossesse et environ un tiers d’entre elles étaient satisfaites de l’information reçue par des PS.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 83 • Number 3 • September 2022
Pages: 104 - 111
Editor: Naomi Cahill
History
Version of record online: 11 January 2022
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© 2022.
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Lydia TegwynMosherMScFN, RD, Jamie A.SeabrookPhD, and JasnaTwynstraPhD. 2022. Identifiable Dietary Patterns of Pregnant Women: A Canadian Sample. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
83(3): 104-111. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2021-040
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