The association between dietary intake and sociodemographic characteristics with mental health and weight gain status among pregnant women at selected community clinics in Kuala Selangor

Alarming trend of poor dietary intake among pregnant women has been a global concern. Studies have discovered that individuals with poor dietary intake were associated with various outcomes including mental health issues and poor weight gain. Poor mental health and weight gain are said to be the most widely recognized complications during pregnancy. However, existing studies have yet to provide a better understanding on how these issues are associated with dietary intake of pregnant women. Thus, conducting a quantitative study becomes necessary to determine the association between dietary intake and sociodemographic characteristics with mental health and weight gain status in pregnant women. This was a cross- sectional study conducted on 204 pregnant women among five community clinics in Kuala Selangor. A face-to-face interview was conducted to assess dietary intake using Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), followed by a self-administered questionnaire to obtain sociodemographic and anthropometric data, meanwhile mental health status was assessed using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Findings in this study revealed that nutrients such as calorie intake, fat, magnesium and vitamin B12 as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as age, ethnicity, education level, household income and medical condition were associated with mental health status of pregnant women. Meanwhile, carbohydrate intake and BMI status pre-pregnancy were associated with abnormal weight gain in pregnancy. In conclusion, there is an association between dietary intake and sociodemographic characteristics with mental health and weight gain status in pregnant women. The results from this study suggest prospective intervention areas and direction of future quantitative and longitudinal studies aimed at identifying targets for interventions in managing poor dietary intake among pregnant women.