Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Supervisor
Dr. Martha Karen Campbell
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify the individual- and community-level determinants of diet quality during pregnancy. Subjects included 2282 pregnant women in London, Ontario who participated in the Prenatal Health Project (PHP). Dietary intake was measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire and diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Index for Pregnancy. Participants of the PHP were linked to a geographic dataset by home address to determine the community-level variables using a geographic information system. Insignificant variability at the community-level resulted in an individual-level multivariable regression analysis instead of a multi-level. Our findings indicated that pregnant women who were born in Canada, unmarried, nulliparous, less physically active, smokers, more anxious, and lacking family support had lower diet quality on average. Presence of fast food restaurants,-convenience stores, and supermarkets in relation to participants' homes did not appear to be major contributors to diet quality in our cohort.
Recommended Citation
Nash, Danielle Marie, "Determinants of Diet Quality in Pregnancy: Does Geography Play a Role?" (2011). Digitized Theses. 3299.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3299