SELECTED LIFE-STYLE PRACTICES IN URBAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN - RELATIONSHIPS TO PREGNANCY OUTCOME, DIETARY INTAKES AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS

The relationships of selected lifestyle factors (cigarette smoking, co nsumption of alcoholic beverages, recreational drug use,and exercise d uring pregnancy), all self-reported, to pregnancy outcomes, dietary in take during pregnancy, and maternal anthropometric measurements, were investigated in a group of urban African American pregnant women. The 234 subjects were aged 16-35 years and were free of diabetes and abnor mal hemoglobins. The lifestyle data were collected by trained intervie wers during the subjects' prenatal clinic visits, and the dietary data by monthly, quantitative 24-hour food recalls conducted during these same visits. Maternal anthropometric measurements were obtained from t he subjects' hospital records, and pregnancy outcome data during physi cal examinations of the newborn infants. Both cigarette smoking and dr ug use were associated with significantly lower mean birth weight, len gth, and head circumference, while exercise was associated with a sign ificantly higher mean birth weight, and head circumference (P < 0.05). Drug use during pregnancy was associated with a significantly higher intake of vitamin C, and a significantly lower intake of iron; while w omen reporting drug use before pregnancy had significantly higher mean intakes of food energy, protein, total and saturated fat, and zinc. P repregnancy weight, percent ideal prepregnancy body weight, prepregnan cy body mass index, and delivery weight were significantly lower among those reporting drug use before pregnancy. Multiple regression analys es indicated that smoking explained a relatively small proportion of t he variance in infant birth weight compared with delivery weight and p ercent of ideal prepregnancy body weight.