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.
Abu-Saad
Kathleen
K
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
Shai
Iris
I
Vardi
Hillel
H
Belmaker
Ilana
I
Fraser
Drora
D
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