Anthropometric and nutritional associations of food cravings in pregnancy

Dietary cravings alter food intake however the nutritional and anthropometric consequences are unknown. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and types of foods craved during pregnancy and secondly to compare the anthropometric, clinical characteristics and nutritional intakes of women with and without food cravings.

Healthy pregnant women were participants in the Belfast cohort of Hyperglycaemic and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study (HAPO), a prospective observational study examining maternal glycaemia and pregnancy outcome. Diet was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at 29weeks gestation which included subjective questions on food cravings. Mean daily nutrient intakes were analysed using Q Builder nutritional software (Tinuviel Software, UK) and SPSS Version 20.

Data were available for 1639 women, mean age 30 (SD 5.5) years; mean BMI at booking (<16weeks gestation) 25.6kg/m(2) (range 16.5-50.8) of which 39% (n=635) experienced food cravings. Women who craved foods had a higher mean daily energy intake (9721kJ+3016) (p=0.002) and gained more weight (9.55kg+5.4) (p=0.049) throughout pregnancy than those who did not experience food cravings (9256kJ+2786 and 8.95kg+5.4 respectively). Women who were overweight (30%) or obese (16%) at booking, did not differ in their likelihood of reporting cravings to those who were under- or normal weight at booking.

Cravings occur commonly in pregnancy and those women who craved foods had a higher mean energy intake and gained more weight throughout pregnancy than those who did not crave foods. This study was supported by a grant from Sugar Nutrition UK.