Adherence to Nutritional Counselling Goals Among Pregnant Women With Overweight and Its Effect on Perinatal Health Outcomes

BackgroundThe present study aimed to evaluate the adherence to nutritional counselling goals among pregnant women with overweight and its effect on perinatal outcomes.MethodsA randomised clinical trial was conducted in 350 adult pregnant women with overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2). The women were assigned to control (CG = 166) or intervention groups (IG = 169). Women in the IG received three individual nutritional counselling sessions during pregnancy. Goals were related to the consumption of home-cooked meals, fruits, vegetables, physical activity and avoidance of ultra-processed foods. A score of 1 point was given for each goal achieved. Goals adherence was defined as achieving at least four out of the six goals established (overall score >= 4 points), regardless of the treatment group. Adjusted logistic and linear regression models were used to assess the association between goal adherence and perinatal outcomes.ResultsIn the IG, 54.7% of pregnant women achieved overall goal adherence, compared to 31.7% in the CG (p = 0.001). A negative association was observed between the overall goal adherence score and total cholesterol (TC) (beta -7.56 [95% CI -15.50; -0.62], p = 0.03) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (beta -8.43 [95% CI -14.96; -1.91], p = 0.01]. Additionally, physical activity time was negatively associated with TC and LDL-c. A higher frequency of consumption of sugary beverages was positively associated with TC. No association was observed for other perinatal outcomes investigated.ConclusionAdherence to the goals of counselling showed a beneficial effect, being negatively associated with TC and LDL-c in pregnant women with overweight.