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Assessing Diet Quality in a Population of Low-Income Pregnant Women: A Comparison Between Native Americans and Whites

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Abstract

Objective: To assess diet quality of pregnant women in the WIC program in North Dakota and to compare Native Americans with whites, we used a DQI-P (diet quality index for pregnancy) among low-income pregnant women enrolled in WIC, a special supplemental program for women, infants, and children. Methods: Dietary information was collected for all participants using the Harvard Service Food Frequency Questionnaire (HSFFQ). DQI-P scores were based on 10 components previously used in other diet quality indices: percent recommended intake of grains, vegetables, fruits, folate, calcium, and iron; total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and dietary diversity. Each component contributed 10 points to the total possible DQI-P score of 100. Results: The mean DQI-P score was 53.9. Native Americans (51.8) had significantly lower DQI-P scores (51.8 vs. 54.2; p<0.0001); significantly higher scores for iron and folate; and significantly lower scores for cholesterol, total fat intake, and saturated fat components than did whites. As DQI-P scores increased, diet improved and scores for individual components increased. Conclusion: While there were significant differences between the diet quality of Native American and white pregnant women, the differences were minimal. The DQI-P scores for all women in this population indicate that their diets are not meeting dietary recommendations. Interventions should focus on decreasing fat intake and increasing iron and folate intake to meet national dietary recommendations. More emphasis should be placed on eating whole fruit and vegetables.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grant # RO1 HD 33763 from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Colditz is also supported by the American Cancer Society Cissy Hornung Clinical Research Professorship. The authors gratefully acknowledge the North Dakota WIC clients who participated in this study and the dietitians who collected the data. The authors would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Robin EB Flaig, at the Harvard School of Public Health, as well as the contributions of Jill Leppert, of the North Dakota WIC Program, Division of Maternal and Child Health, for her active collaboration in the preparation of this manuscript. Unfortunately, prior to the completion of the manuscript, Jill Leppert passed away.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Vanessa Watts

  2. Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Helaine Rockett, Heather Baer & Graham Colditz

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Graham Colditz

Authors
  1. Vanessa Watts
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  2. Helaine Rockett
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  3. Heather Baer
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  4. Jill Leppert
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  5. Graham Colditz
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Correspondence to Vanessa Watts.

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This author is deceased.

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Watts, V., Rockett, H., Baer, H. et al. Assessing Diet Quality in a Population of Low-Income Pregnant Women: A Comparison Between Native Americans and Whites. Matern Child Health J 11, 127–136 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-006-0155-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-006-0155-2

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