(P22-046-24) Associations of Nutrient Intake and Dietary Patterns With Serum Folate Levels Among Pregnant Women With Pre-pregnancy Obesity in Taiwan

Objectives: Dietary patterns (DPs) for contributing to nutritional imbalance in pregnant women with pre-pregnancy obesity are still restricted. Our study aims to identify the associations of nutrient intake and DPs with serum folate levels among pregnant women with pre-pregnancy obesity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women with pre-pregnancy obesity (n=208) in Taiwan using the Nationwide Nutrition and Health Survey. Dietary assessment was performed using a standardized semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h dietary recall method. Principal component analysis was used to determine the DPs of participants. Blood was collected to evaluate serum folate. The baseline characteristics of respondents were compared across the tertiles of serum folate levels using Krusal-Wallis and chi-squared tests. Covariates included sociodemographic factors and nutrient intake. Linear and logistic regression analyses with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to identify the associations of DPs with serum folate.

Results: A total of 29.3% of study participants suffered from serum folate deficiency. Dietary folate (µg) and iron (mg) intakes were associated with serum folate levels. After adjusting covariates, generalized linear regression models indicated that dairy, mushroom, and legume DP (β=0.004, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.008, p < 0.05), and vegetable and fruit DP (β=0.013, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.096, p < 0.05) exhibited positive associations with serum folate. The binomial logistic regression analysis demonstrated that elevated consumption of vegetable and fruit DP significantly decreased the risk of low serum folate (T2: odds ratio (OR)=0.734, 95% CI: 0.438, 0.929; T3: OR=0.531, 95% CI: 0.321, 0.768, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The consumption of DPs rich in dairy, mushrooms, legumes, and vegetables and fruits is positively associated with serum folate levels among pregnant women with pre-pregnancy obesity.

Funding Sources: No funding was received for this secondary data analysis.