Objective: To establish the Diet Balance Index for Pregnancy (DBI-P) and utilize it to evaluate the dietary quality among pregnant women in Chengdu, and to provide the basis for maternal nutrition interventions.
Methods: According to the Chinese dietary principles and the nutritional standards (2013) of pregnant women, the Diet Balance Index for Pregnancy (DBI-P) was established on the foundation of the Diet Balance Index (DBI). 610 healthy pregnant women in Chengdu were recruited and were followed up from early pregnancy to the third trimester, and food intakes of them were collected by 24-hour dietary recall method in each trimester. The overall dietary quality in each trimester was evaluated by DBI-P and the variation of dietary quality was analyzed.
Results: In each trimester, the intakes of fruits and eggs were optimal, but the meats were over-consumed, and the intakes of cereals, vegetables, milk, soybean and nuts, and fish and shrimp were insufficient. The median total score (TS) was negative in each trimester, suggesting the food intakes of pregnant women were tend to be insufficient. The compliance rate was higher in fruits (59.0% - 79.0%), and lower in the other food groups (5.7% - 48.4%), especially in cereals (5.7% - 7. 4%). In the first, second and third trimester, the median high bound scores (HBS) were 3, 4 and 4, respectively, suggesting the women were in relatively low surplus of food intake, and the degree of over intake were same in the three trimesters (P > 0.05), and the percent of over intake were 21.0%, 33.1% and 24.1%, respectively. The median low bound scores (LBS) were 24, 19 and 21, respectively, suggesting they were in low deficit of food intake, and the degree of under intake was highest in the first trimester (P < 0.017), and the percent of under intake were 96.1%, 88.0% and 91.3%, respectively. The median diet quality distance scores (DQD) were 27, 23 and 25, respectively, suggesting they were in moderate to low dietary imbalance, and the degree of imbalance was highest in the first trimester (P < 0.017), and the percent of overall imbalance were 97.9%, 96.9% and 97.4%, respectively.
Conclusion: The dietary intake of pregnant women in Chengdu is unbalanced, especially during the first trimester, and the deficit of food intake is the main problem.