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Maternal and pediatric nutrition

The effect of dietary counselling on food intakes in pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial RADIEL

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 70, pages 912–917 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. GDM may be prevented by improving the diets of pregnant women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary counselling on the diets of pregnant women at GDM risk.

Subjects/Methods:

This study was a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial the Finnish gestational diabetes prevention study (RADIEL) in which pre-pregnant and pregnant women with previous GDM or BMI ⩾30 kg/m2 were allocated into two groups, namely the control and the intervention groups. The control group received standard antenatal dietary counselling according to the Finnish Nutrition Recommendations. The intervention group participated in one individual dietary counselling session and one group dietary counselling session in addition to the standard counselling. This study included women who were recruited during pregnancy. To assess changes in food intake, food-intake questionnaires were collected during the first and the second trimester of pregnancy. Bootstrap type analysis of covariance was used, and 242 participants were included in the final analysis to study changes in food intake.

Results:

The intakes of low-fat cheese (baseline adjusted mean 0.09 times/day; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07, 0.24; P=0.040) and fish (baseline adjusted mean 0.28 times per week; 95% CI 0.08, 0.49; P=0.011) showed a significant increase in the intervention group compared with the control group.

Conclusions:

This study showed that dietary counselling in early pregnancy can lead to modest dietary improvements in pregnant women at GDM risk.

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Acknowledgements

The RADIEL study was supported by Ahokas Foundation, Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Disease, Special state subsidy for health science research of Helsinki University Central Hospital, Samfundet Folkhälsan, the Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation, State Provincial Office of Southern Finland and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The funders had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.

Author contributions

AV, SK, JM, JL, BS-L, KR, MK, HK, MP-A, AT, EH, HL, SA, RR and JE designed and conducted the study; AV and HK analysed the data; AV interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript; SK, JM, JL, BS-L, KR, MK, HK, MP-A, AT, EH, HL, SA, RR and JE gave their comments of the first version of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    A Valkama, J Meinilä, H Kautiainen & J G Eriksson

  2. Folkhälsan Research Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    A Valkama & J G Eriksson

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    S Koivusalo & K Rönö

  4. Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    J Lindström

  5. Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

    H Kautiainen

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, South Karelia Central Hospital, Lappeenranta, Finland

    B Stach-Lempinen & M Klemetti

  7. Department of Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    M Klemetti & H Laivuori

  8. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    M Pöyhönen-Alho & E Huvinen

  9. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Women's Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    A Tiitinen

  10. Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki, Finland

    H Laivuori

  11. Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    S Andersson

  12. Department of Health and Social Management, Research Centre for Comparative Effectiveness and Patient Safety, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

    R Roine

  13. Administration, Pohjois-Savo Hospital District, Kuopio, Finland

    R Roine

  14. Group Administration, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    R Roine

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  1. A Valkama
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  7. K Rönö
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Valkama.

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Valkama, A., Koivusalo, S., Lindström, J. et al. The effect of dietary counselling on food intakes in pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial RADIEL. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 912–917 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.205

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