Consumption of ultra-processed foods and anthropometric results in pregnant women treated at a public hospital in Asunción
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/hl2025854Keywords:
Prenatal nutrition, sustainable development, maternal and child health, health policiesAbstract
Introduction: Ultra-processed foods are high in sodium, sugars, and fats. The Pan American Health Organization warns that they jeopardize the quality of the diet. Objective: To determine the consumption of ultra-processed foods and nutritional status by anthropometry in pregnant women who attended the Loma Pyta Maternal and Child Hospital between September and December 2024. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with cross-association, non-probabilistic sampling, including pregnant women after informed consent. Sociodemographic data, obstetric history, frequency of consumption of ultra-processed foods according to the NOVA classification, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. The data were analyzed using Epi Info® software version 7.2.5.0. Results: One hundred pregnant women were evaluated, with a mean age of 27 years ± 6 SD; mean gestational age of 24 weeks ± 10 SD. One hundred percent consumed some type of ultra-processed food; 94.0% reported consuming “soft drinks,” 87.0% “packaged sweet cookies,” 95.0% “salty snacks,” and 80.0% “cold cuts.” Overweight was observed in 18.0% and obesity in 44.0%. Pregnant women who consumed these foods frequently (≥4 times per week) had a higher average weight (74.6 kg ± 17.8 SD) compared to those who consumed them moderately (1 to 3 times per week) (68.2 kg ± 12.6 SD), with a statistically significant difference (p= 0.03). Conclusion: The consumption of ultra-processed foods was distributed throughout the total sample, and the average weight was significantly higher in pregnant women with a high frequency of consumption, with malnutrition due to excess being the main anthropometric result. Dietary guidelines for pregnant women are needed, with a focus on the food environment and in line with sustainable development goals 2 and 3.
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