The relationship between dietary fat and body composition during pregnancy, as reported by a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and underwater weighing

The purpose of this study was to examine if a relationship existed between dietary fat intake and body composition during pregnancy, as reported by a self-administered semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and underwater weighing. Thirty-eight pregnant women (28.6±6 years) completed two food frequency questionnaires, using two retention intervals: dietary intake during the year before pregnancy, and dietary intake during the previous month of pregnancy. Height, weight and underwater weight were obtained using standard procedures. The mean gestational age was 25±9 weeks (55.3% primaparous) with 7, 10, and 21 subjects in each of the successive trimesters. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (PPGBMI), mean of 26.4±6, was calculated using self- reported pre-pregnancy weights. There was a significant 223 kcal increase (p < 0.01) from pre-pregnancy to the pregnancy dietary intakes. The composition of macronutrients, however, did not significantly differ between pre-pregnancy and pregnancy intakes. The mean pregnancy percent dietary fat intake was 36.8±8%. The mean pregnancy body fat percentage was 30.2plusmn;6.5. This was correlated to PPGBMI at 0.71 (p < 0.001), month dietary fat percentage at 0.39, and year dietary fat percentage at 0.31. A backward multiple stepwise regression analysis found that parity, PPGBMI and month percent dietary fat (F = 10.9, R² = 0.53, p < 0.0001), were significant predictors for the dependent variable of pregnancy body fat percentage. These results indicate that body fat deposition during pregnancy may be influenced by dietary fat intake, as well as other pregnancy related variables. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to substantiate these results.