Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T15:39:33.043Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dietary intake and use of dietary supplements in relation to demographic variables among pregnant Finnish women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Tuula Arkkola ,
Ulla Uusitalo ,
Minna Pietikäinen ,
Johanna Metsälä ,
Carina Kronberg-Kippilä ,
Maijaliisa Erkkola ,
Riitta Veijola ,
Mikael Knip ,
Suvi M. Virtanen  and
Marja-Leena Ovaskainen
Tuula Arkkola*
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, 90014 University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Ulla Uusitalo
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland
Minna Pietikäinen
Affiliation:
Tampere School of Public Health, 33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
Johanna Metsälä
Affiliation:
Tampere School of Public Health, 33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
Carina Kronberg-Kippilä
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland
Maijaliisa Erkkola
Affiliation:
Tampere School of Public Health, 33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
Riitta Veijola
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, 90014 University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
Mikael Knip
Affiliation:
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Suvi M. Virtanen
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland Tampere School of Public Health, 33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland Research Unit, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
Marja-Leena Ovaskainen
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Tuula Arkkola, fax +358 9 47448591, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Proper nutrition during pregnancy may be important for maternal health and fetal growth and development. In Finland, targeted recommendations are given to guide pregnant women in their food choice and dietary supplement use so that they may obtain adequate nutritional status and meet the increased need for nutrients. The aims of the present study were to examine food choices, nutrient intake and dietary supplement use of pregnant Finnish women in association with demographic variables. One thousand and seventy-five families were invited to a birth cohort study during 1998–9. Mothers of 797 newborns completed a validated 181-item food-frequency questionnaire from which the food and nutrient intakes were calculated. The information about supplement use was collected concerning the whole pregnancy. The results of the present study suggest that healthy food choices are rather common among pregnant Finnish women and the choices are positively correlated with age and education. Nutrient supplements were used by 85 % of the women. Supplements were favoured by the older and well-educated women and by those who had normal weight before pregnancy. Of the women in the present study, 31 % received vitamin A-containing supplements, although it is not recommended during pregnancy. Taking food and supplementation into account, the intake of vitamin D did not meet the dietary recommendation and folic acid intake was below recommendation in 44 % of the women. Therefore there seemed to be unnecessary nutrient supplementation and at the same time lack of relevant supplementation among these pregnant women.

Keywords

PregnancyFood choiceNutrient intakeDietary supplement use
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 96 , Issue 5 , November 2006 , pp. 913 - 920
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

References

Advisory Committee of Government (1998) Finnish Nutrition Recommendations (publication in Finnish). Helsinki: Edita.Google Scholar
Advisory Committee of Government (2005) Finnish Nutrition Recommendations – Diet and physical activity in balance. Helsinki: Edita.Google Scholar
Andersson, AS (2001) Symposium on nutritional adaptation to pregnancy and lactation: pregnancy as a time for dietary change? Proc Nutr Soc 60, 497–504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berg, MJ, van Dyke, DC, Chenard, C, Niebyl, JR, Hirankarn, S & Bendich, A (2001) Folate, zinc, and vitamin B 12 intake during pregnancy and postpartum. J Am Diet Assoc 101, 242–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bodnar, LM & Siega-Riz, AM (2002) A diet quality index for pregnancy detects variation in diet and differences by sociodemographic factors. Public Health Nutr 5, 801–809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borrud, LG, Krebs-Smith, SM, Friedman, L & Guenther, PM (1993) Food and nutrient intakes of pregnant and lactating women in the United States. J Nutr Educ 4, 176–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bunin, GR, Gyllstrom, ME, Brown, JE, Kahn, EB & Kushi, LH (2001) Recall of diet during past pregnancy. Am J Epidemiol 154, 1136–1142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Connor, WE, Lowensohn, R & Hatcher, L (1996) Increaced docosahexaenoic acid levels in human newborn infants by administration of sardines and fish oil during pregnancy. Lipids 31, S183–S187CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elmståhl, S, Wallström, P, Berglund, G, Janson, L, Johansson, U & Larsson, SA (1996) The use of dietary supplements in relation to dietary habits in a Swedish middle-aged population. Scand J Nutr 38, 94–97.Google Scholar
Erkkola, M, Karppinen, M, Järvinen, A, Knip, M & Virtanen, SM (1998) Folate, vitamin D, and iron intakes are low among pregnant Finnish women. Eur J Clin Nutr 52, 742–748.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erkkola, M, Karppinen, M, Javanainen, J, Räsänen, L, Knip, M & Virtanen, SM (2001) Validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire for pregnant Finnish women. Am J Epidemiol 154, 466–476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ervin, RB, Wright, JD & Kennedy-Stephenson, J (1999) Use of dietary supplements in the United States, 1988–94. Vital Health Stat 11, 1–14.Google Scholar
Forsythe, HE & Gage, B (1994) Use of a multicultural food-frequency questionnaire with pregnant and lactating women. Am J Clin Nutr 59, S203–S206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Godfrey, KM & Barker, DJP (1995) Maternal nutrition in relation to fetal and placental growth. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 61, 15–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greeley, S, Storbakken, L & Mael, R (1992) Use of a modified food frequency questionnaire during pregnancy. J Am Coll Nutr 11, 728–734.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hasunen, K, Kalavainen, M & Keinonen, H (1997) Lapsi, perhe ja ruoka. Dietary Recommendations for Children aged 0–5 and Pregnant and Lactating Women (publication in Finnish). Helsinki: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.Google Scholar
Helakorpi, S, Uutela, A & Prättälä, R (1999) Health Behaviour Among Finnish Adult Population (publication in Finnish). Helsinki: National Public Health Institute.Google Scholar
Kaartinen, P, Ovaskainen, ML & Pietinen, P (1997) The use of dietary supplements among Finnish adults. Scand J Nutr 41, 13–17.Google Scholar
Kara, R (1978) Food Consumption in Lactating Mothers in Helsinki and Effect of Trace Nutrients in Milk Composition (in Finnish). Masters Thesis, Department of Nutrition, University of Helsinki.Google Scholar
Kirk, SF, Cade, JE, Barrett, JH & Conner, M (1999) Diet and lifestyle characteristics associated with dietary supplement use in women. Public Health Nutr 2, 69–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lyle, BJ, Mares-Perlman, JA, Klein, BE, Klein, R & Greger, JL (1998) Supplement users differ from nonusers in demographic, lifestyle, dietary and health characteristics. J Nutr 128, 2355–2362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Männistö, S, Ovaskainen, M & Tapanainen, L (2003) Finnravinto 2002 – Study. National Public Health Institute B3/2003. Helsinki: National Public Health Institute.Google Scholar
Mathews, F, Yudkin, P, Smith, RF & Neil, A (2000) Nutrient intake during pregnancy: the influence of smoking and age. J Epidemiol Community Health 54, 17–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, M & Bingham, SA (1997) Assessment of food consumption and nutrient intake. In Design Concepts in Nutritional Epidemiology, pp. 123–169 [Margetts, BM and Nelson, M, editors]. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordic Working Group on Diet and Nutrition (1996) Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Scand J Nutr 40, 161–165.Google Scholar
Ortega, RM, Gaspar, MJ & Moreiras, O (1994) Dietary assessment of a pregnant Spanish women group. Int J Vit Nutr Res 64, 130–134.Google ScholarPubMed
Piirainen, T, Isolauri, E, Huurre, A, Hoppu, U & Laitinen, K (2004) Dietary and health counselling in well-women (WW) and well-baby (WB) clinics in Finland (article in Finnish). Suomen Lääkärilehti 59, 2047–2053.Google Scholar
Robinson, S, Godfrey, K, Osmond, C, Cox, V & Barker, D (1996) Evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire used to assess nutrient intakes in pregnant women. Eur J Clin Nutr 50, 302–308.Google ScholarPubMed
Rogers, I & Emmett, P (1998) Diet during pregnancy in a population of pregnant women in South West England – Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC). Eur J Clin Nutr 52, 246–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Social and Health Ministry (1995) Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defect. Recommendations from the Expert Group (in Finnish). Helsinki: Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.Google Scholar
Timbo, B, Altekruse, S, Hyman, F, Klontz, K and Tollefson, L (1994) Vitamin and mineral supplementation during pregnancy. Mil Med 159, 654–658.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Voyles, LM, Turner, RE, Lukowski, MJ & Langkamp-Henken, B (2000) High levels of retinol intake during the first trimester of pregnancy result from use of over-the-counter vitamin/mineral supplements. J Am Diet Assoc 100, 1068–1070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zeghoud, F, Vervel, C, Guillozo, H, Walrant-Debray, O, Boutignon, H & Garabedian, M (1997) Subclinical vitamin D deficiency in neonates: definition and response to vitamin D supplements. Am J Clin Nutr 65, 771–778.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed