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From the LIMIT study, new evidence of associations between maternal lifestyle factors and inadequate pregnancy weight gain
The research investigates how maternal lifestyle factors, including adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and specific food consumption, influence gestational weight gain.
Susanna Bonelli
Communication specialist
Published: September 9, 2024
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A research group from Spoke 5 at the University of Pavia has published the preliminary findings from the LIMIT (Lifestyle and microbiome interaction early adiposity rebound in children) study in the European Journal of Nutrition.️ The research investigates how maternal lifestyle factors, including adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and specific food consumption, influence gestational weight gain.
The research group is affiliated with the Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, coordinated by Prof. Hellas Cena.
Gestational Weight Gain (GWG) impacts maternal and fetal health; deviations from optimal ranges pose health risks. Maternal lifestyle before and during pregnancy strongly influences GWG. This study explores factors linked to inadequate GWG, focusing on Mediterranean Diet (MD) adherence and specific food consumption.
178 pregnant women were enrolled at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia) during pre-hospital care before birth, meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria. Sociodemographic data, pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG, MD adherence, physical activity (PA) levels, and smoking habits were retrospectively collected.
Validated questionnaires adapted for the target group assessed MD adherence and PA level. Participants were classified into adequate (AGWG) and inadequate GWG groups following IOM guidelines.
Glossary and information for better understanding of the text
- Gestational Weight Gain (GWG)
- Mediterranean Diet (MD)
- Adequate Gestational Weight Gain (AGWG)
- Excess Gestational Weight Gain (EGWG)
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Physical Activity (PA)
- Institute of Medicine (IOM)
- Relative Risk Ratio (RRR)
- Significance was set at p-value < 0.05
Educational level, pre-pregnancy BMI, adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, and daily average vegetable consumption are key factors in achieving adequate GWG.
Among 200 pregnant women (aged 30–36), 37.1% experienced low GWG and 24.1% excessive GWG.
The study revealed a significant association between inadequate GWG and educational level (P=0.011); pre-pregnancy BMI (P=0.005); MD adherence (P=0.008), and daily average consumption of vegetables (P<0.001).
Results also showed that a lower risk of EGWG vs. AGWG was associated with daily average consumption of vegetables (RRR=0.279, P = 0.004), while a higher risk of EGWG vs. AGWG was associated with high daily meat product consumption (> 1.5 portions/day) (RRR=7.83, P=0.03).
These findings emphasize the importance of promoting lifestyle changes before and during pregnancy to tackle the increasing incidence of inadequate GWG and improve the health outcomes of both mother and child.
Susanna Bonelli
Communication specialist
I skilfully craft communication messages for specific audiences and distribute them through appropriate channels. A perfectionist with a flair for teaching, I specialise in web copywriting, UX writing, content design, and content marketing.
This blog post is related to
Research projectLIMIT
Lifestyle and microbiome interaction early adiposity rebound in children
Principal investigators
Rachele De Giuseppe
Referred to
Spoke 05