Evaluation of Preconception Dietary Patterns in Women Enrolled in a Multisite Study

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Dietary indices offer limited insight into global dietary variability.
• Empirically derived dietary patterns capture food combinations linked to health.
• Preconception dietary patterns in diverse populations require further evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive pooled and site-specific preconception dietary patterns in the NiPPeR study.
• To assess associations between these dietary patterns and anthropometric/metabolic markers.

Main Methods:

• 1720 women planning pregnancy in the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand were recruited.
• Harmonized food frequency questionnaires and lifestyle surveys were used.
• Multivariable linear regression analyzed associations between dietary patterns and health outcomes.

Main Results:

• Three pooled dietary patterns emerged: "Healthy" (Vegetables/Fruits/Nuts), "Less Healthy" (Fried potatoes/Processed meat/Sweetened beverages), and "Mixed" (Fish/Poultry/Noodles/Rice).
• Higher "Healthy" pattern scores correlated with lower waist-to-hip ratio.
• Higher "Less Healthy" pattern scores were associated with increased BMI, LDL cholesterol, and suboptimal glucose profiles.

Conclusions:

• Pooled preconception dietary patterns mirrored site-specific ones.
• Associations between dietary patterns and metabolic markers were largely as expected.
• Further research is needed to confirm these findings in diverse populations.