Carbohydrate intake during early pregnancy is inversely associated with abnormal glucose challenge test results in Japanese pregnant women.
In East Asian countries, which have a high prevalence of underweight individuals, there is little information about the association between dietary factors and abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy. We examined the association between carbohydrate intake and moderately abnormal glucose tolerance in Japanese pregnant women.



We conducted a prospective study on 325 Japanese pregnant women without a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus prior to pregnancy. Dietary carbohydrate intake (% of total energy intake) was assessed using a 3-day dietary record during weeks 8-15 of pregnancy. Glucose tolerance was assessed by the 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT) during weeks 24-28 of pregnancy. A positive GCT result was defined by a 1-hour plasma concentration ≥ 7.8 mmol/L. Odds ratios of a positive GCT were calculated for the top and middle tertile categories of carbohydrate intake using the bottom category as reference.



Mean (standard deviation) body mass index at the first prenatal visit was 19.7 (1.9) kg/m2, and 95 women were underweight. Seventy-four women had positive GCT results. Carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with a positive GCT result after adjusting for age, parity, body mass index at first prenatal visit, family history of diabetes mellitus, rate of gestational weight gain, energy intake, and dietary fiber intake (odds ratio for top category: 0.46 [95% CI, 0.23-0.93]).



These findings suggest that high carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with moderately abnormal glucose tolerance in a population with a high prevalence of underweight individuals.
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ryoko
R
Tajima
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Care Science, Chiba Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Chiba, Japan.
Yoko
0000-0002-1465-3243
Y
Yachi
Tanaka Women's Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Tanaka
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Yui Anasako
YA
Kawasaki
Kawasaki City College of Nursing, Kanagawa, Japan.
Izumi
I
Nishibata
Department of Child Studies, Faculty of Human Welfare, Seigakuin University, Saitama, Japan.
Ayumi Sugawara
AS
Hirose
Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Life Studies, University of Niigata Prefecture, Niigata, Japan.
Chika
C
Horikawa
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, Niigata University Faculty of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
Satoru
S
Kodama
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.
Kaoruko
K
Iida
Department of Internal Medicine, Niigata University Faculty of Medicine, Niigata, Japan.
Hirohito
H
Sone
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015930:Diet Records; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates
carbohydrate intake; gestational diabetes mellitus; glucose challenge test; macronutrient substitution model; underweight