Health behaviors of American pregnant women: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2007-2014

Background This study examined engagement in five health behaviors among pregnant women in the USA. Methods Pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2014 were included in this study. Five health behaviors were examined: adequate fruit and vegetable consumption, prenatal multivitamin use, physical activity, sleep and smoking. Multivariable regressions were used to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of characteristics associated with health behaviors. Results Among 248 pregnant women, only 10.2% engaged in all five health behaviors and 35.4% consumed adequate fruits and vegetables. For adequate fruit and vegetable consumption, Hispanic and women of 'other' race were more likely to meet the recommendation compared to non-Hispanic white (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively); high school graduates were less likely to meet the recommendation compared to those with at least some college education or more (P = 0.04). Conclusions Adequate fruit and vegetable consumption among pregnant women was poor and differed by race/ethnicity and education status. Because of the cross-sectional design, we cannot examine engagement in health behaviors continuously throughout pregnancy. Future research with longitudinal data over the course of pregnancy is needed to confirm these results.

Automated summary

This study examined the engagement of pregnant women in five health behaviors in the USA. It found that only a small percentage of pregnant women engaged in all five health behaviors, and the consumption of adequate fruits and vegetables was poor. Additionally, fruit and vegetable consumption differed by race/ethnicity and education status among pregnant women.