THE INFLUENCE OF DIETARY ADVICE ON NUTRIENT INTAKE DURING PREGNANCY

To assess the effect of an antenatal nutrition programme designed spec ifically for the local population, questionnaires on nutrition knowled ge, attitudes to healthier eating and 4 d diet diaries were completed by women attending routine antenatal clinics. Women who received the n utrition education programme were allocated into an Intervention Educa tion Group whilst those women who did not were allocated into a Routin e Education Group, The results showed that knowledge about nutrition w as significantly higher in the intervention group, However, no signifi cant differences were detected between the two groups for attitude var iables or nutrient intake. It is concluded, therefore, that the most-w idely-read form of nutrition advice for pregnant women may have some i mpact on nutrition knowledge but has little effect on nutrient intake during pregnancy.