Dietary Changes Albertan Women Make During Pregnancy: Thematic Analysis of Self-reported Changes and Reasons.

PURPOSE: To explore dietary changes Albertan women make during pregnancy, reasons they make changes, and alignment with prenatal nutrition recommendations. METHODS: Women up to 6 months postpartum were recruited in public health centres and Primary Care Networks. Qualitative data were collected through a self-administered survey including 2 open-ended questions that asked about changes made to food/beverage intake during pregnancy and why these changes were made. RESULTS: A majority (n = 577) of the 737 women completing the survey described changes they made to their food/beverage intake during pregnancy and 193 respondents provided reasons for these changes. Increased intake of fruits/vegetables, meat, milk, and their alternatives (n = 600); limiting or avoidance of foods/beverages known to be harmful during pregnancy (n = 445); and increased food/fluid intake or meal/snack frequency (n = 405) were commonly reported dietary changes. Motivations relating to health and to control physiological changes/manage health conditions were the most frequent reasons provided. CONCLUSIONS: Women make diverse dietary changes and have various motivations for food choices during pregnancy. A majority make dietary changes to support a healthy pregnancy. However, the motivation to control discomforts and respond to hunger and thirst sensations reflect a stronger influencer on women's choices than is currently addressed in prenatal nutrition messages.

Oral Zinc Supplementation Positively Affects Linear Growth, But not Weight, in Children 6-24 Months of Age.

BACKGROUND: Childhood zinc deficiency is a common problem in many developing countries where people rely mainly on plant based diets with low zinc contents. Zinc supplementation is one of strategies to combat zinc deficiency and its consequences in children. The aim of this community trial was to examine the effect of zinc supplementation on the linear growth of children 6-24 months of age and to examine the feasibility of its implementation in the context of primary health care (PHC). METHODS: Rural community health centers providing maternal and child care in two areas with moderate rates of malnutrition were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups, including 393 and 445 children 6-24 months of age, respectively. Children in both groups received routine iron and multivitamin or vitamin A and D supplements through PHC services. Mothers of children in the intervention group were asked to give a single dose of 5 ml/day zinc sulfate syrup (containing 5 mg elemental zinc) to their children for 3 months while children in the control group did not receive the supplement. RESULTS: Anthropometric measurements were performed at baseline and on a monthly basis in both groups. We found a 0.5 cm difference in the height increment in the intervention group as compared with the control (P < 0.001). Zinc supplementation had no effect on weight increment of children. CONCLUSIONS: Oral zinc supplementation was found to be both practical and effective in increasing linear growth rate of children less than 2 years of age through PHC.

Parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents: a national study.

OBJECTIVE: Overweight among adolescents is not only an important public health problem but also a problem affecting economic growth in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents at national level. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted within the framework of the Comprehensive Study on Household Food Consumption Patterns and Nutritional Status of IR Iran during 2001-2003. In adolescents, anthropometric indices were defined based on the CDC 2000 cut-off points for age and gender-specific body mass index (BMI). Parental characteristics were collected by questionnaire. Among the 7158 participating households, data on 7908 adolescents aged 11-19 years (3750 girls and 4158 boys) was analyzed. FINDINGS: The prevalence of overweight (85-94th percentile) in boys and girls was 6.2%, and 8.7%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity (≥95th percentile) among boys and girls was similar (3.3%). Parents' weight status, father's job and parents' education showed significant association with weight status in adolescents. Logistic regression analysis showed that parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father's job were the main parental determinants of overweight and obesity in Iranian adolescents. CONCLUSION: Parental overweight and obesity, parental education and father's job seem to be the major parental determinants of overweight in Iranian adolescents. Future prevention programs must take these risk factors into account.

A qualitative study of the Australian midwives' approaches to Listeria education as a food-related risk during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: to explore midwives' perceptions of food-related risks and their approaches to Listeria education during pregnancy. DESIGN: an exploratory design within a qualitative framework. SETTING: one private and two public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 10 midwives providing antenatal care in the selected hospitals. FINDINGS: midwives had a range of approaches, from active to passive, to Listeria education. The main education provided was focused only on some of the high Listeria-risk foods with little education on safe food-handling practices. Midwives' perception of food-related risks was a function of their limited scientific knowledge and their reliance on their experiential knowledge and their common sense. System constraints such as temporal pressure, limited availability of educational materials and low adherence to Listeria recommendations within the health system were also identified to influence midwives' practice. KEY CONCLUSIONS: professional practice guidelines regarding food safety and Listeria education are needed, together with relevant professional training and review of hospital practices in relation to this important health issue.

Listeria education in pregnancy: lost opportunity for health professionals.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the level of Listeria awareness among pregnant women attending antenatal services and to gain a better understanding of women's knowledge of Listeria risk and factors that affect their practice in this regard. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study carried out from April to November 2006 using a convenience sample of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics/classes in one private and two major public hospitals in South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Services, New South Wales. Women were asked to participate by completing a self-administered questionnaire based on the standard food safety recommendations for pregnant women to avoid Listeria infection. The association between different socio-demographic variables and Listeria knowledge, and related food practices, were investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Nearly half of the 586 respondents had received some kind of information on Listeria prevention. The main channel for obtaining information was social environment. More than 57% had an incomplete knowledge of foods with high Listeria risk, and approximately 25% continued the consumption of these foods with a relatively high frequency. A strong association was found between women's knowledge and their practice. Lower education and household income, unplanned pregnancy and non-English-speaking background were associated with incomplete knowledge and more frequent consumption of at-risk foods. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The provision of advice on Listeria prevention appears to be insufficient during prenatal consultations early in pregnancy and needs to be improved as an essential component of these services.