Objective
To examine the consistency and adequacy of nutritional intake in a population of Black women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
Design
This was a longitudinal descriptive study. Data were collected from women with low-risk pregnancies at 22–24 week prenatal visits and two subsequent visits.
Setting
Participants were recruited from urban prenatal clinics in one city in the Northeastern United States.
Participants
Pregnant women who self-identified as Black (N=195)
Methods
A 24-hour diet recall was obtained at each of the three study time points. Food models and measuring cups were used to improve the accuracy of portion size reporting. Data from diet recalls were manually entered in Food Processor software to compute nutritional content.
Results
Dietary intake was examined using a linear mixed effect model. Dietary patterns were stable from the second to the third trimester and caloric intake was inadequate. Women met minimal daily requirements for carbohydrate and protein intake, but the overall percentages of fat, protein, and carbohydrates indicated that additional calories needed to come from protein. Although more than 80% of women regularly took prenatal vitamins, micronutrient and fiber intake were consistently inadequate.
Conclusion
Prenatal care that helps women to identify foods that are high in fiber, protein, and micronutrients is important for the health of the women and newborns. Knowing that nutritional intake is consistently inadequate, whenever nurses are in contact with pregnant women counseling can occur in attempt to improve nutritional intake and make women aware of inexpensive nutrient sources.
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