Food environment and family support in relation to fruit and vegetable intake in pregnant women

The aim of the study was to investigate predictor factors related to self-perceived food environment, food practices, and family support and fruit and vegetable intake during pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 282 pregnant women at the second trimester of pregnancy living in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. A food frequency questionnaire, and two 24-hour dietary recalls were obtained, and the Multiple Source Method was used to estimate the usual intake. Self-perceived food environment, food practice and family support were assessed by structured questionnaires. Logistic regression models adjusted for education, age, socioeconomic class, and BMI by gestational age were used to evaluate the relationship between self-perceived food environment, food practice and family support and fruit and vegetable intake. No association between self-perceived food environment and fruit and vegetable intake was found. However, the women who reported a greater number of meals per day (OR 1.95 (95% CI = 1.06; 3.56), p = 0.03), those who believed they consumed enough fruit and vegetable (3.71 (2.23; 6.20), p < 0.001), and who reported to have family support for a healthy diet (3.16 (1.78; 5.60), p < 0.001), were more likely to consume greater amounts of these foods. Our data suggests that the family support and a higher number of meals per day might be relevant to achieve a higher fruit and vegetable intake among pregnant women.