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Research Project: Impact of Maternal Influence and Early Dietary Factors on Child Growth, Development, and Metabolic Health

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Title: Healthful Eating Behaviors among Couples Contribute to Lower Gestational Weight Gain

Author
item SPARKS, JOSHUA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item REDMAN, LEANNE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item DREWS, KIMBERLY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item SIMS, CLARK - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KRUKOWSKI, REBECCA - University Of Virginia School Of Medicine
item ANDRES, ALINE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2024
Publication Date: 3/13/2024
Citation: Sparks, J.R., Redman, L.M., Drews, K.L., Sims, C.R., Krukowski, R.A., Andres, A. 2024. Healthful Eating Behaviors among Couples Contribute to Lower Gestational Weight Gain. Nutrients. 16(6):822. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060822.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060822

Interpretive Summary: The study examined how eating behaviors may be linked with weight gain during pregnancy. In total, 218 pregnant women and 157 non-pregnant partners completed surveys to document their eating behaviors. Weigh gain during pregnancy was measured. Results demonstrated that more controlling behaviors towards dietary intake to manage body weight in pregnant women and in couples was associated with higher weight gain during pregnancy, especially for pregnant women with overweight or obesity. The study finding suggest that involving non-pregnant partners in programs to optimize weight gain during pregnancy may be beneficial.

Technical Abstract: Through longitudinal analysis from the GLOWING cohort study, we examined the independent and joint relationships between couples’ eating behaviors and gestational weight gain (GWG). Pregnant persons (n = 218) and their non-pregnant partners (n = 157) completed an Eating Inventory. GWG was calculated as gestation weight at 36 weeks minus that at 10 weeks. General linear models were used to examine the relationships between GWG and the pregnant persons, nonpregnant partners, and couples (n = 137; mean of pregnant persons and non-pregnant partners) cognitive restraint (range 0–21), dietary disinhibition (range 0–18), and perceived hunger (range 0– 14), with higher scores reflecting poorer eating behaviors. The adjusted models included race/ethnicity, education, income, marital status, and age. The pregnant persons and their non-pregnant partners’ cognitive restraint, dietary disinhibition, and perceived hunger scores were 9.8 ± 4.7, 4.8 ± 3.2, and 4.4 ± 2.5 and 6.6 ± 4.6, 5.4 ± 3.4, and 4.7 ± 3.2, respectively. Higher cognitive restraint scores among the pregnant persons and couples were positively associated with GWG (p = 0.04 for both). Stratified analyses revealed this was significant for the pregnant persons with overweight (p = 0.04). The non-pregnant partners’ eating behaviors alone were not significantly associated with GWG (p = 0.31 for all). The other explored relationships between GWG and the couples’ eating behaviors were insignificant (p = 0.12 for all). Among the pregnant persons and couples, reduced GWG may be achieved with higher levels of restrained eating. Involving non-pregnant partners in programs