Findings in such a large sample indicate that PUFA status in late pregnancy is only slightly linked with the risk of post-natal depression when depression was quantified by the EPDS. There were no associations between post-natal depression diagnosed by DSM criteria and any fatty acid variables.

BackgroundNutritional studies have found conflicting evidence regarding the ability of Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) to demonstrate convergent validity with tissue content of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). We therefore sought to assess the convergent validity of a FFQ strategy when compared with a blood biomarker of PUFA levels in a sample of pregnant women.MethodA previously validated PUFA FFQ was completed by 895 pregnant women and compared to erythrocyte membrane of six PUFA variables.ResultsFour of the six correlations were found to be formally significant, however two of these demonstrated minimal associational strength. Moderate-high correlations between the FFQ-derived PUFA intake estimates and blood biomarker PUFA levels were shown only for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 0.55) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 0.61).ConclusionsOverall, the correlations were lower than those found in general population studies. Findings suggest biological estimates, such as blood samples, may be most appropriate to measure PUFA levels above indirect strategies such as an FFQ in this population. The results, if an indirect strategy is unavoidable, indicate specific PUFAs where an FFQ strategy may be most informative.

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