Dietary patterns and socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related behaviors during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The identification and understanding of dietary factors and other characteristics that influence gestational weight gain can contribute to the formulation of strategies to promote healthy eating habits before and during pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between dietary patterns, sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, and health-related behaviors in pregnant women. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study was conducted on women undergoing prenatal care in the Unified Health System of Colombo, Paraná, Brazil, from February 2018 to September 2019. METHOD: A weekly food frequency questionnaire was administered, and dietary patterns were identified through factor analysis. Median regression models were constructed to identify the associations between dietary pattern scores and variables. RESULTS: Complete data were obtained from 495 pregnant women. Three dietary patterns were identified: 1) “healthy,” with higher factor loadings for the weekly consumption of raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, and fresh fruits; 2) “Western,” including soft drinks or artificial juice, candies, milk, and dairy products, and processed cold meat; and 3) “traditional,” beans and meat. Pregnant women aged 30 years or older (coefficient [Coef.] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38–1.33) with moderate/intense physical activity (Coef. 0.32, 95% CI 0.02–0.62) had higher adherence to the “healthy” pattern. Adolescents and smokers adhered more to the “traditional” pattern (Coef. 0.17, 95% CI 0.01–0.33). CONCLUSION: Age, smoking status, and physical activity were associated with dietary patterns in pregnant women.