Evaluation of dietary pattern in early pregnancy using the FIGO Nutrition Checklist compared to a food frequency questionnaire

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the reliability and utility of the FIGO Nutrition Checklist to identify dietary and nutritional inadequacy in early pregnancy by comparing it against nutritional indicators and dietary quality indices (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension [DASH] score, Mediterranean Diet Score [MDS], and Dietary Quality Index‐International [DQI‐I]), derived by a locally validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Methods A prospective cohort study of healthy Chinese pregnant women randomly recruited between September 2017 and April 2018 at their first antenatal appointment. Women completed the FIGO Nutrition Checklist (translated into Chinese) and the FFQ. Spearman correlation was performed to examine association between the Checklist and dietary quality indices or food and nutrient intakes, calculated based on dietary data from the FFQ. Results Of 160 participants, 156 (97.5%) completed both the FIGO Nutrition Checklist and FFQ and were included. There were 148 (95%) women who reported at least one suboptimal dietary behavior using the Checklist. Checklist score was significantly associated with dietary quality indices (DASH ρ=0.344, P<0.001; DQI‐I ρ=0.304, P<0.001; MDS ρ=0.164, P=0.041). The Checklist question on fruit/vegetables was significantly associated with fiber, vitamin C, and fruit and vegetable intake as calculated from the FFQ (0.325 ≤ ρ ≤0.441, P<0.001). The question on dairy intake was significantly associated with intake of calcium, milk and dairy products captured via FFQ (0.576 ≤ ρ ≤0.655, P<0.001). Conclusion This study supports the use of the FIGO Nutrition Checklist to identify women with suboptimal dietary quality in early pregnancy.

Addressing the gaps in nutritional care before and during pregnancy

“…The FIGO nutrition checklist is validated for use in pregnancy (114) . In a study with 156 healthy pregnant women, Tsoi et al found that the dietary information in the checklist correlated with the same data collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire.…”

“…The FIGO nutrition checklist is validated for use in pregnancy (114) . In a study with 156 healthy pregnant women, Tsoi et al .…”

“…found that the dietary information in the checklist correlated with the same data collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. In addition, the quality of diet suggested by the checklist correlated with more detailed and well-established dietary indices, including the dietary approaches to stop hypertension and the Mediterranean diet scores (114) . With knowledge of the need for more implementation research to support meaningful change in clinical practice globally, Killeen et al .…”

“…The FIGO nutrition checklist is effective in identifying potential nutritional issues and therefore could be used as a nutritional risk screening tool. In the study by Tsoi et al ., 95 % of women reported at least one suboptimal dietary practice that could put them at nutritional risk for their pregnancy (114) . Likewise, the study by Killeen et al .…”

“…The FIGO nutrition checklist is effective in identifying potential nutritional issues and therefore could be used as a nutritional risk screening tool. In the study by Tsoi et al, 95 % of women reported at least one suboptimal dietary practice that could put them at nutritional risk for their pregnancy (114) . Likewise, the study by Killeen et al found that the checklist captured at least one suboptimal dietary practice in over 80 % of their convenience sample of women attending routine antenatal services, 16 % of which reported three or more out of six potential issues with diet quality (87) .…”