Nutrition information in pregnancy: Where do women seek advice and has this changed over time?

Abstract

Aim: Nutrition during pregnancy is fundamental to both the health of the mother and her baby. Sources of nutrition-related information are available via many sources but their accuracy is unknown. The present study aimed to (a) identify where women source their nutrition information during pregnancy and (2) assess the accuracy of nutrition information for pregnancy that is available on the internet. Methods: A survey instrument that identified the main sources of nutrition information was administered to 68 pregnant women recruited online. Data from this survey were compared to previous similar surveys conducted with pregnant mothers across years 2008, 2011 and 2014. A content analysis of websites was simultaneously conducted to assess the accuracy of available information. Results: The main source of nutrition information for a variety of topics was verbal communication from health professionals (% responses affirmative for that source ranged from 6.6% to 69% across survey years). There was an increasing trend in internet sourced information for most nutrition topics, but this source remained low for iodine across all years (range: 7.3%-15.9%). The internet was the main source of information for listeria/food safety (15.3%-32.4%) and healthy eating (25%-42%). Of the n = 165 websites identified by the content analysis, 82.4% (n = 136) were rated as accurate, with government (96.9%) and business/company (100%) sites having the highest accuracy. Conclusion: Verbal communication from health professionals remains the most important source of nutrition information for pregnancy. The high credibility of websites indicates this to be an additional resource. Further study into health literacy levels among women visiting these sites is needed to assess impact on dietary behaviour.

“It only takes two minutes to ask”—a qualitative study with women on using the FIGO Nutrition Checklist in pregnancy

“…10,14 The findings of our study confirm extensive previous research showing that pregnant women welcome diet, weight, and nutrition-related discussions. 8,23 Clinicians working with pregnant women have a responsibility to incorporate brief nutrition and weight discussions into their clinical appointments. Despite this, multiple systematic reviews have found that the lack of prioritization of behavior change interventions by healthcare professionals is a barrier to incorporating it into practice.…”

Examining the use of the FIGO Nutrition Checklist in routine antenatal practice: multistakeholder feedback to implementation

“…7,8 Research suggests that healthcare professionals are the most important source of nutrition information in pregnancy and that brief interventions delivered by healthcare professionals as part of routine care can promote positive health behaviours. 9 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends the development and use of clinical checklists in obstetrics and gynecology. 10 important consideration for any new clinical intervention.…”

The first 1000 days: A critical period of nutritional opportunity and vulnerability

“…The internet has become the most popular source of nutrition information used by Australian adults in general 23 . While, traditionally, health professionals have been, and remain, the primary source of nutrition information for Australian pregnant women, in this issue, Lobo et al report that Australian pregnant women are increasingly searching the internet for information on a variety of nutrition topics relevant to pregnancy 9 . It is critical, therefore, that pregnant women have access to relevant and factual information from credible online sources.…”

“…This issue of Nutrition & Dietetics includes a collection of original nutrition research that spans these critical first 1000 days of life and beyond. In addition to papers related to pregnancy, 7‐10 infancy 11‐13 and the preschool years, 14 there are papers related to schoolchildren, 15 adolescents 16 and young adults 17,18 …”

“…It is critical, therefore, that pregnant women have access to relevant and factual information from credible online sources. Lobo et al rated the accuracy of 136 websites and found that government and business/company websites had an encouragingly high degree of accuracy, whereas the websites of community groups had a lower degree of accuracy, and personal blogs were a source of largely inaccurate information 9 . Given the importance of iodine in pregnancy, surprisingly few women (11.8%) searched the internet for information on this nutrient.…”