Maternal Bean Consumption during Pregnancy: Distribution and Nutritional Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Maternal Health
• Dietary Habits

Background:

• Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for fetal development and maternal health.
• Beans are a nutrient-dense food group, rich in fiber, protein, and essential micronutrients.
• Understanding maternal bean consumption patterns is important for promoting healthy pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the frequency and amount of maternal bean intake during pregnancy.
• To examine the association between bean consumption and maternal diet quality.
• To investigate the relationship between bean intake and nutrient intake during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of 1444 US pregnant women from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II.
• Maternal bean intake, diet quality (Healthy Eating Index), and nutrient intake estimated via a third-trimester Food Frequency Questionnaire.
• Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Fisher's LSD tests, correlation coefficients, and coefficients of determination.

Main Results:

• Maternal bean consumption was generally low (e.g., 0.31 cups/week dried beans).
• Weekly consumption of dried beans (≥1 time/week) was associated with a higher Healthy Eating Index score, increased fiber and protein intake, and lower added sugar intake.
• Higher dried bean intake showed moderate correlations with total fiber, insoluble fiber, soluble fiber, and folate intake.

Conclusions:

• Bean consumption among pregnant women in this US cohort was low.
• Increased maternal bean intake (≥1 time per week) is linked to improved diet quality during pregnancy.
• Encouraging bean consumption may be a viable strategy to enhance maternal nutrition during pregnancy.