[The status of postpartum weight retention and its associated factors among Chinese lactating women in 2013]

Adjusting DBI-2016 to dietary balance index for Chinese maternal women and assessing the association between maternal dietary quality and postpartum weight retention: A longitudinal study

Diet is believed to play a major role in maternal recovery, postpartum weight retention (PPWR) is one of the challenges for Chinese women. However, the association between puerperal women’s diet and PPWR remained unclear and complicated in China. The study assessed the dietary quality of puerperal women using adjusted Chinese Dietary Balance Index-16 (DBI-16) and explored its associations with PPWR. Participants were enrolled in the Mother-Infant Cohort Study of China. Dietary intake and demographic characteristics were obtained by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a self-designed questionnaire at 0–3 months postpartum. PPWR was calculated by the weight difference at 0-3months and 6-8months postpartum minus pre-pregnancy weight. Dietary quality was assessed using adjusted DBI-16. 316 puerperal women were enrolled. According to adjusted DBI-16, 84.8% of participants had an insufficient dietary intake (vegetables 84.8%, fruits 91.8%, dairy 87.3%, soybean 61.4% and aquatic foods 79.4%, respectively), 67.1% had an excessive intake (cereals 60%, meat 57.3% and eggs 64.9%, respectively), 98.4% had an imbalanced diet consumption. PPWR at 0–3, and 6–8 months were 6.0 (±5.1) kg and 5.2 (±7.7) kg, and the percentage of PPWR (≥5kg) were 63.0% and 52.8% respectively. Multivariable linear regression showed the intake of fish and shrimp at 0–3 months postpartum was negatively associated with PPWR at 6–8 months (β = -0.114, SE = 0.279, p < 0.05). The diet quality of Chinese puerperal women was unreasonable and imbalanced. Fish intake tended to be a favorable factor for postpartum weight loss.

Dietary patterns of Chinese puerperal women and their association with postpartum weight retention: Results from the mother-infant cohort study

Dietary intake may affect maternal health, but it remains unclear about puerperal dietary intake and its association with maternal health. This study investigated the dietary patterns and their related factors and association with postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in Chinese puerperal women. Participants were from the mother-infant cohort study, in which both mothers and infants were followed up from childbirth to the next 2 years, in seven cities around China. Maternal puerperal dietary patterns were derived by a food frequency questionnaire and principal component analysis (PCA) within 1 month postpartum. PPWR was assessed by the difference of weight at 42 days and 6 months postpartum minus the pre-pregnancy weight. Of 503 postpartum women, four dietary patterns were identified, including 'plant food' pattern (rice and vegetables as dominant foods), 'diverse' pattern (starchy roots, fruit, livestock meat and aquatic products), 'traditional northern' pattern (poultry, eggs and soup) and 'marine-flour' pattern (flour, coarse food grains and marine fish). The diverse pattern was associated with professional puerperal family care and counselling service (p < .05). PPWRs at 42 days and 6 months postpartum were 6.37 and 4.70 kg averagely. The plant food dietary pattern tended to be associated with higher 42-day PPWR (β = .105, p < .05), and diverse pattern was associated with lower 6-months PPWR (β = -.137, p < .05). Conclusively, this study presented four dominant dietary patterns in Chinese postpartum women and showed a lower PPWR in adherence to diverse dietary pattern. The results would provide evidence to furtherly guide dietary practice and improve maternal health.