Premium
Exploration of the dietary habits, lifestyle patterns and barriers to healthy eating in UK post‐partum women
Author(s) -
Stevens R.,
Kelaiditi E.,
Myrissa K.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/nbu.12483
Subject(s) - medicine , breastfeeding , pregnancy , body mass index , meal , post partum , postpartum period , demography , pediatrics , genetics , biology , sociology
Maternal nutrition during the post‐partum period (PPP) is important for optimal health. The aim of this study was to explore dietary habits, lifestyle patterns and barriers to healthy eating in post‐partum women. An online survey exploring eating habits, weight status, sleep duration, breastfeeding, nutrition knowledge, physical activity, provision of advice and barriers to healthy eating was completed by 228 women (56.1% were 25–34 years, mean PPP of 5.73 ± 3.31 months). A sub‐sample of 34 women (50% were 35–44 years) completed an optional online multiple‐pass 24‐hour recall. At 6 months post‐partum ( n = 60), 72.3% of participants weighed more than their pre‐pregnancy weight (mean 5.56 ± 4.61 kg). In addition, while 60.8% ( n = 107) of women had a healthy body mass index (BMI) pre‐pregnancy, this dropped to 46.7% ( n = 77) in the PPP. Only 2.2% of women were meeting current UK physical activity guidelines and 73.7% were not meeting the 5 A DAY fruit and vegetable recommendations. Consumption of high calorie snacks and meal skipping were significantly higher during the PPP compared to pre‐pregnancy ( P < 0.01). Meal skipping was significantly associated with poor nutrition knowledge ( P < 0.05). Women who were breastfeeding had significantly lower BMI than those who were bottle‐feeding after adjusting for age of baby, education, socio‐economic status and BMI pre‐pregnancy ( P < 0.05). Fatigue, lack of time and feeling stressed were the most common self‐reported barriers to healthy eating, and these were greater for women with low combined household income and those having ≥3 children ( P < 0.05). Dietary analysis showed that women were not meeting the national recommendations for energy, fibre, iron and vitamin D. Diet and lifestyle advice given to post‐partum women needs to be tailored to different sociodemographic characteristics, pre‐pregnancy health status and baseline nutrition knowledge, with a greater focus on those experiencing more barriers to healthy eating.