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Use of a web-based dietary assessment tool in early pregnancy

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Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Maternal diet is critical to fetal development and lifelong health outcomes. In this context, dietary quality indices in pregnancy should be explicitly underpinned by data correlating food intake patterns with nutrient intakes known to be important for gestation.

Aims

Our aim was to assess the correlation between dietary quality scores derived from a novel online dietary assessment tool (DAT) and nutrient intake data derived from the previously validated Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire (WFFQ).

Methods

524 women completed the validated semi-quantitive WFFQ and online DAT questionnaire in their first trimester. Spearman correlation and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to test associations between energy-adjusted and energy-unadjusted nutrient intakes derived from the WFFQ, and diet and nutrition scores obtained from the DAT.

Results

Positive correlations were observed between respondents’ diet and nutrition scores derived from the online DAT, and their folate, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc and iodine intakes/MJ of energy consumed derived from the WFFQ (all P < 0.001). Negative correlations were observed between participants’ diet and nutrition scores and their total energy intake (P = 0.02), and their percentage energy from fat, saturated fat, and non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) (all P ≤ 0.001). Median dietary fibre, beta carotene, folate, vitamin C and vitamin D intakes derived from the WFFQ, generally increased across quartiles of diet and nutrition score (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Scores generated by this web-based DAT correlate with important nutrient intakes in pregnancy, supporting its use in estimating overall dietary quality among obstetric populations.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge with gratitude the participation and cooperation of the pregnant women who participated in this study. This project was gratefully supported by an unrestricted educational grant provided by Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland

    L. Mullaney, S. Cawley, R. Kennedy & D. McCartney

  2. UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women Infants University Hospital, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland

    A. C. O’Higgins & M. J. Turner

Authors
  1. L. Mullaney
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  2. A. C. O’Higgins
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  3. S. Cawley
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  4. R. Kennedy
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  5. D. McCartney
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  6. M. J. Turner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Mullaney.

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Conflict of interest

LM, ACOH, SC, RK and MJT declare no conflict of interest. DMcC developed the online dietary assessment tool (DAT) and is the proprietary owner of this technology and the intellectual property embedded in it (outlined in conflict of interest form).

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Mullaney, L., O’Higgins, A.C., Cawley, S. et al. Use of a web-based dietary assessment tool in early pregnancy. Ir J Med Sci 185, 341–355 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-016-1430-x

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