Adherence to nutritional guidelines in pregnancy: evidence from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE To determine adherence to nutritional guidelines by pregnant women in New Zealand and maternal characteristics associated with adherence. DESIGN A cohort of the pregnant women enrolled into New Zealand's new birth cohort study, Growing Up in New Zealand. SETTING Women residing within a North Island region of New Zealand, where one-third of the national population lives. SUBJECTS Pregnant women (n 5664) were interviewed during 2009-2010. An FFQ was administered during the face-to-face interview. RESULTS The recommended daily number of servings of vegetables and fruit (≥6) were met by 25 % of the women; of breads and cereals (≥6) by 26 %; of milk and milk products (≥3) by 58 %; and of lean meat, meat alternatives and eggs (≥2) by 21 %. One in four women did not meet the recommendations for any food group. Only 3 % met all four food group recommendations. Although adherence to recommendation for the vegetables/fruit group did not vary by ethnicity (P=0·38), it did vary for the breads/cereals, milk/milk products and meat/eggs groups (all P<0·001). Adherence to recommendations for the vegetables/fruit group was higher among older women (P=0·001); for the breads/cereals group was higher for women with previous children (P<0·001) and from lower-income households (P<0·001); and for the meat/eggs group was higher for women with previous children (P=0·003) and from lower-income households (P=0·004). CONCLUSIONS Most pregnant women in New Zealand do not adhere to nutritional guidelines in pregnancy, with only 3 % meeting the recommendations for all four food groups. Adherence varies more so with ethnicity than with other sociodemographic characteristics.