Background characteristics of iron intake groups (20%, 60% and 20%), means (SD) or frequencies (%)
| 20% | 60% | 20% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <14.2 mg/day (n=78) | 14.2–109.9 mg/day (n=233) | 110.0+ mg/day (n=78) | p Value | |
| Total Fe intake (mg/day) | 11.6 (2.0) | 36.0 (25.1) | 136.2 (36.5) | – |
| Primigravida | 34 (43.6) | 96 (41.2) | 43 (55.1) | 0.099* |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.7 (4.4) | 26.5 (4.7) | 25.2 (4.3) | 0.050† |
| Age (years) | 29.3 (5.1) | 29.8 (4.4) | 29.6 (5.4) | 0.70† |
| Diabetes in first-degree or second-degree relatives | 44 (57.1) | 127 (54.5) | 48 (61.5) | 0.55* |
| GDM or macrosomia in previous pregnancy | 14 (18.2) | 33 (14.2) | 10 (12.8) | 0.60* |
| Hb (8–12 weeks‡) (g/l) | 135.4 (9.6) | 134.0 (10.9) | 127.0 (10.0) | <0.001§ |
| Total energy intake (MJ/day) | 8.3 (1.5) | 10.1 (2.6) | 9.9 (2.7) | <0.001† |
| Protein (E%)¶ | 18.0 (2.3) | 18.0 (2.2) | 18.1 (2.2) | 0.81§ |
| Carbohydrates (E%) | 48.0 (4.4) | 48.6 (4.8) | 47.3 (4.9) | 0.071§ |
| Saccharose (E%) | 10.7 (3.4) | 10.6 (3.4) | 10.8 (2.6) | 0.54‡ |
| Dietary fibre (g/day) | 20.7 (6.0) | 26.8 (9.2) | 25.8 (8.6) | <0.001§ |
| Total fat (E%) | 32.9 (4.0) | 32.3 (4.4) | 33.4 (4.1) | 0.099§ |
| Saturated fatty acids (E%) | 12.7 (2.0) | 12.5 (2.7) | 13.3 (2.5) | 0.015‡ |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids (E%) | 12.1 (1.9) | 11.9 (1.8) | 12.2 (1.7) | 0.57§ |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids (E%) | 5.2 (1.0) | 5.0 (0.9) | 5.0 (0.9) | 0.85§ |
| Total gestational weight gain (kg) | 14.1 (5.5) | 13.9 (5.3) | 14.5 (5.4) | 0.81§ |
*χ2 test.
†Kruskal-Wallis test.
‡16–18 for those with missing values at 8–12 weeks (n=28), missing: Hb n=5, 20 and 6, respectively.
§One-way ANOVA.
¶Percentage of total energy intake. Data on dietary intake was collected by the food frequency questionnaire completed at 26–28 weeks’ gestation.
ANOVA, analysis of variance; BMI, body mass index; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; Hb, haemoglobin.