Dietary patterns and associated factors among pregnant women in Ibadan, Nigeria: Evidence from Ibadan pregnancy cohort study

BACKGROUND: Maternal nutrition is vital for an optimal intrauterine environment, foetal development, birth weight, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. We assessed the maternal dietary patterns using a data-driven technique and the associated sociodemographic factors among pregnant women in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: Dietary assessment was performed during the enrolment of participants for the Ibadan Pregnancy Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study, conducted among 1745 pregnant women enrolled early in pregnancy (≤ 20 weeks) at four comprehensive obstetric facilities within the Ibadan metropolis. A qualitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the pregnant population’s intake of food and drinks three months prior to their enrollment. We determined dietary patterns by applying principal component analysis with a varimax rotation. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors and dietary patterns at 5% statistical significance. RESULTS: Mean age and gestational age at enrolment were 29.8 (± 5.3) years and 16.4 (±4.2) weeks, respectively. White rice was the most frequently consumed meal [794 (45.5%) daily, 898 (51.4%)] weekly in our study population. Five major dietary patterns were identified, and they accounted for 28.8% of the total variation: "protein-rich diet with non-alcoholic beverages" (15.6%); "fruits" (4.1%); "typical diet with alcohol" (3.8%); "legumes" (2.8%), "refined grains" (2.6%). Maternal education and income were inversely associated with the consumption of a "protein-rich diet with non-alcoholic beverages", "typical diet with alcohol", and "legumes" in a dose-response fashion. Also, employed women had a higher mean intake of fruits [adjusted β: 0.33 (0.02; 0.65) p = 0.040] compared with women without employment. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION: We described five dietary patterns of pregnant women using a data-driven technique, principal component analysis, in Nigeria. We also identified factors influencing maternal dietary patterns, which can inform public health interventions, especially behavioural change communication during antenatal care.