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AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the association between pregravid weight status and diet quality.DesignInstitute of Medicine body mass index (BMI) cut-off points of 26.0?29.0?kg?m??2for overweight and >29?kg?m??2for obese were used to categorise women's weight status. Dietary information was obtained by self-report at 26?28 weeks' gestation using a modified Block food-frequency questionnaire. The Diet Quality Index for Pregnancy (DQI-P) included: servings of grains, vegetables and fruits, folate, iron and calcium intake, percentage calories from fat, and meal pattern score. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between weight status and tertiles of DQI-P controlling for potential individual confounders.SettingA clinical-based population recruited through four prenatal clinics in central North Carolina.SubjectsA total of 2394 women from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition study were included in this analysis.ResultsEvidence of a dose?response relationship was found between BMI and inadequate servings of grains and vegetables, and iron and folate intake. Pregravid obesity was associated with 76% increased odds of falling into the lowest diet quality tertile compared with underweight women after controlling for potential confounders.ConclusionA modest association was found between pregravid weight status and diet quality. If corroborated, these findings suggest that overweight pregnant women should be targeted for nutrition counselling interventions aimed to improve diet quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine associations of the frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants with demographic, behavioural and psychosocial factors and dietary intake in African American adults.Methods: Self-reported data from a population-based cross-sectional survey of 658 African Americans, aged 2070 years, in North Carolina. An 11-page questionnaire assessed eating at fast-food restaurants, demographic, behavioural and diet-related psychosocial factors, and dietary intake (fruit, vegetable, total fat and saturated fat intakes, and fat-related dietary behaviours).Results: The participants were aged 43.911.6 years (meanstandard deviation), 41% were male, 37% were college graduates and 75% were overweight or obese. Seventy-six per cent reported eating at fast-food restaurants during the previous 3 months: 4% usually, 22% often and 50% sometimes. Frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants was positively associated with total fat and saturated fat intakes and fat-related dietary behaviours (P<0.0001) and inversely associated with vegetable intake (P<0.05). For example, mean daily fat intake was 39.0?g for usually/often respondents and 28.3?g for those reporting rare/never eating at fast-food restaurants. Participants who reported usual/often eating at fast-food restaurants were younger, never married, obese, physically inactive and multivitamin non-users (all P<0.01). Frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants was positively associated with fair/poor self-rated health, weak belief in a dietcancer relationship, low self-efficacy for healthy eating, weight dissatisfaction, and perceived difficulties of preparing healthy meals and ordering healthy foods in restaurants (all P<0.05). Frequency of eating at fast-food restaurants did not differ significantly by sex, education, smoking, ability to purchase healthy foods or knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid.Conclusions: Eating at fast-food restaurants is associated with higher fat and lower vegetable intakes in African Americans. Interventions to reduce fast-food consumption and obesity in African Americans should consider demographic and behavioural characteristics and address attitudes about dietdisease relationships and convenience barriers to healthy eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pregnancy and postpartum iron status is of great public health importance, yet few studies have examined predictors of haemoglobin (Hb) concentration during this time. We identified predictors of Hb from 24 weeks' gestation until delivery and from 4 to 25 weeks postpartum.Design: Blood was drawn as many as four times during care: at the initial visit, at 24–29 weeks' gestation, at delivery and postpartum. A longitudinal, multivariable linear regression model was used to predict Hb concentration.Setting: A public health clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina.Subjects:n=520 women who participated in the Iron Supplementation Study.Results: Hb concentration at the previous blood draw, short stature, non-Hispanic white ethnicity/race, >12 years of education and smoking were positive predictors of pregnancy and postpartum Hb concentrations. Iron supplement use was a positive predictor, while inadequate weight gain and severe nausea/vomiting were negative predictors of gestational Hb. A high infant birth weight and postpartum haemorrhage were negative predictors of postpartum Hb. Pre-pregnancy body mass index had a slight positive relationship with gestational Hb, but had a strong negative relationship with postpartum Hb. The longitudinal model also confirmed the typical pattern of gestational Hb concentration. As the number of weeks between the initial visit and the 24- to 29-week visit increased, Hb at 24–29 weeks' gestation decreased. As gestational age increased from 24 weeks until delivery, Hb concentration increased as well.Conclusions: The predictors identified here could be used in clinical settings to target high-risk women for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]