Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study
Abstract Objective: The National Health Service (NHS) England website provides guidance on foods/drinks to avoid or limit during pregnancy because of microbiological, toxicological or teratogenic hazards. The aims were to determine adherence and whether demographic characteristics were associated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024000600/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797213098224910336 |
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| author | Lucy Beasant Jenny Ingram Pauline M Emmett Janet E Cade Caroline M Taylor |
| author_facet | Lucy Beasant Jenny Ingram Pauline M Emmett Janet E Cade Caroline M Taylor |
| author_sort | Lucy Beasant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Objective:
The National Health Service (NHS) England website provides guidance on foods/drinks to avoid or limit during pregnancy because of microbiological, toxicological or teratogenic hazards. The aims were to determine adherence and whether demographic characteristics were associated with adherence.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Online survey of postpartum women resident in England during pregnancy.
Participants:
Recently, postpartum women resident in England during their pregnancy (n 598; median age 33 (IQR 30–36) years) completed an online questionnaire (April–November 2022). Questions included those on consumption of twenty-one food/drink items that the NHS advises pregnant women to avoid/limit. The study is part of the Pregnancy, the Environment And nutRition (PEAR) Study. Summary statistics were used to determine proportions adhering to the guidance. Adjusted logistic regression was used to model the associations of adherence with demographic characteristics.
Results:
Adherence was generally high (>90 % for eight of ten food/drink items to be avoided). However, among pre-pregnancy consumers, several items were not completely avoided, for example, 81 % (128/158) for game meat/gamebirds, 37 % (176/478) for cured meats and 17 % (81/467) for soft cheeses. Greater educational attainment (e.g. caffeinated soft drinks OR 2·25 (95 % CI 1·28, 3·94)), greater maternal age (e.g. oily fish 1·64 (1·05, 2·56)) and lower parity (e.g. caffeinated coffee 0.28 (0.11, 0.69)) were the most usual characteristics associated with adherence.
Conclusion:
Evidence of concerning levels of non-adherence for some food/drink items suggests a case for more education on some of the guidance, particularly for women with lower educational attainment, greater parity and greater maternal age. Further research on barriers to the implementation of the guidance is needed.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:17:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a976cadd90a441abf0a8d0bf2fec7d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:52:52Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a976cadd90a441abf0a8d0bf2fec7d02024-04-12T07:44:09ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272024-01-012710.1017/S1368980024000600Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR StudyLucy Beasant0Jenny Ingram1Pauline M Emmett2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1076-4779Janet E Cade3Caroline M Taylor4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8347-5092Centre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UKCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UKCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UKNutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKCentre for Academic Child Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK Abstract Objective: The National Health Service (NHS) England website provides guidance on foods/drinks to avoid or limit during pregnancy because of microbiological, toxicological or teratogenic hazards. The aims were to determine adherence and whether demographic characteristics were associated with adherence. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Online survey of postpartum women resident in England during pregnancy. Participants: Recently, postpartum women resident in England during their pregnancy (n 598; median age 33 (IQR 30–36) years) completed an online questionnaire (April–November 2022). Questions included those on consumption of twenty-one food/drink items that the NHS advises pregnant women to avoid/limit. The study is part of the Pregnancy, the Environment And nutRition (PEAR) Study. Summary statistics were used to determine proportions adhering to the guidance. Adjusted logistic regression was used to model the associations of adherence with demographic characteristics. Results: Adherence was generally high (>90 % for eight of ten food/drink items to be avoided). However, among pre-pregnancy consumers, several items were not completely avoided, for example, 81 % (128/158) for game meat/gamebirds, 37 % (176/478) for cured meats and 17 % (81/467) for soft cheeses. Greater educational attainment (e.g. caffeinated soft drinks OR 2·25 (95 % CI 1·28, 3·94)), greater maternal age (e.g. oily fish 1·64 (1·05, 2·56)) and lower parity (e.g. caffeinated coffee 0.28 (0.11, 0.69)) were the most usual characteristics associated with adherence. Conclusion: Evidence of concerning levels of non-adherence for some food/drink items suggests a case for more education on some of the guidance, particularly for women with lower educational attainment, greater parity and greater maternal age. Further research on barriers to the implementation of the guidance is needed. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024000600/type/journal_articleDietPregnancyMidwifeNutrition guidancePublic healthPEAR Study |
| spellingShingle | Lucy Beasant Jenny Ingram Pauline M Emmett Janet E Cade Caroline M Taylor Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study Public Health Nutrition Diet Pregnancy Midwife Nutrition guidance Public health PEAR Study |
| title | Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study |
| title_full | Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study |
| title_fullStr | Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study |
| title_short | Adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in England: the PEAR Study |
| title_sort | adherence to the national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy in england the pear study |
| topic | Diet Pregnancy Midwife Nutrition guidance Public health PEAR Study |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024000600/type/journal_article |
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