Rapid assessment tools for ranking pregnant minority women into multi-nutrient exposure groups.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a targeted FFQ (TFFQ) and evaluate its effectiveness for ranking minority women by their intake of multiple nutrients important to a healthy pregnancy.


METHODS
In Stage 1, food groups derived from 24 h recall dietary data were entered into a stepwise multiple regression model to identify 'discriminating' foods for the TFFQ; in Stage 2, the TFFQ and a 24 h recall were administered to pregnant women. The TFFQ data were used to create a Habitual Multi-Nutrient Intake Scale (H-MNIS) for ranking the women. The effectiveness of the ranking was tested against women's reported nutrient intakes on the 24 h recall.


METHODS
Southern Israel.


METHODS
In Stage 1, 519 Bedouin Arab adults; in Stage 2, 404 pregnant Bedouin women.


RESULTS
Of the ninety-three food groups included in the regression analysis, twenty-eight explained >80 % of the between-person variability in the intake of the target nutrients. Whole-wheat bread was a main discriminator for protein, Fe, Zn, Ca and folate. Fish, poultry and canned tuna explained ≥88 % of the between-person variation in DHA and EPA intakes. The mean daily intakes of pregnant Bedouin women from the 24 h recall data differed significantly across H-MNIS quartiles (P < 0·01) for all but three target nutrients (folate, EPA, DHA); and the P for trend was significant (P < 0·02) for all but EPA.


CONCLUSIONS
The TFFQ and H-MNIS represent rapid assessment tools for studying maternal nutrition on a multi-nutrient basis, and effectively ranked pregnant Bedouin women into exposure groups by their intake of the target nutrients.
Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel 52621. kathleena@gertner.health.gov.il
Kathleen
K
Abu-Saad
Iris
I
Shai
Hillel
H
Vardi
Ilana
I
Belmaker
Drora
D
Fraser
D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008913:Minority Groups; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D005492:Folic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid