The impact of dietary diversity and seasonality in food availability on the quantile distribution of birth size among pregnant women in rural Malawi - a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dietary diversity scores can be used as a proxy for dietary intakes and for assessment of nutrient adequacy. Studies from low-resource settings have found maternal dietary diversity scores to be associated with neonatal birth size. We here investigated the relationship between the dietary diversity score among pregnant mothers and birth size of their offspring across quantiles of the birth size variables; birth weight, length, abdominal circumference, and head circumference. We also investigated if seasonality affects birth size across different quantiles.

Methods

Dietary intake and anthropometric data were collected from 190 pregnant women and their neonates in rural Malawi through two agricultural seasons. Dietary data was collected using 24-hour recall intervie

SUBMITTER: Hjertholm KG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9327336 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature