Sources of Information and Nutritional Status of Women in the First Trimester of Pregnancy in Tehran

 Healthy, adequate, balanced and varied nutrition during pregnancy is essential for the health of mother and baby. Considering the need for proper nutrition for fetal growth and supply of mineral reserves and the role of nutrition in preventing pregnancy complications in mother and baby and the importance of sources of nutrition information, the aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional status of women in the first trimester of pregnancy and the role of information sources on it in Tehran.

 In this cross-sectional study, 330 primiparous pregnant women referred to Najmieh and Shahid Mostafa Khomeini hospitals in Tehran in 10-12 weeks of gestation were selected by convenience sampling and their nutritional status was assessed using a 147 item food frequency questionnaire. Demographic characteristics questions and sources of nutrition information during pregnancy were asked by a trained midwife.

 The mean age of the subjects was 26.02±3.70 years. Sources of nutrition information during pregnancy were 29.7% from the Internet and mobile phones, 20.3% from books, 14.2%, mothers, 11.5% radio and television, 9.1% health care staff and 7.6% from other sources and 7.3% of women had no source of information. Mean consumption unit of food groups and subgroups/day during the first trimester of pregnancy for bread and cereals was 7.3±3.12, for meat and eggs was 1.07±0.65, fruit 3.56±2.05, vegetables 2.17±1.15, dairy products 2.18±1.86, protein 2.42±1.23, nuts 1.00±0.79, fat 7.01±3.75, sugar 5.21±3.45, processed meats were 0.04±0.09 and bean was 0.34±0.30 units. The most important sources of nutritional information during pregnancy were Internet and mobile phone and books and a significant relationship was found between the use of Internet, books and mobile phone and the mean consumption of dairy products, vegetables, fruits and grains (p<0.05).

 The results of the study showed that the highest consumption of food groups belongs to the bread and cereals group and the lowest to the dairy group. Furthermore, the best sources of information were the Internet, mobile phones and books.