Dietary patterns and their influence factors among pregnant woman in Beijing

Objective To describe dietary patterns among women during pregnancy in Huairou district of Beijing and to investigate whether dietary patterns are associated with sociodemographic factors.Methods With random sampling,a questionnaire survey on food frequency was conducted from January to July 2014 among 404 healthy women visiting Huairou District Maternal and Child Health Hospital during their early,mid-term,or late pregnancy.Principal components analysis was used to identify dietary patterns.Results Five evident dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis,including patterns of 'animal protein'(meat and fresh milk),'processed food'(fried chips,instant noodles,and crispy-puffed food),'vegetable fruit beverage'(vegetable juice,sodas,fruits,and other soft drinks),'traditional food'(cooked wheaten food,congee,green vegetables,and fruits),and 'plant protein'(bean curd,other bean products,and bread).Education level of the women was associated positively with their animal protein pattern(r=0.182,P<0.001) and reversely with processed food pattern(r=-0.129,P<0.01).Conclusion Five dietary patterns were identified and education level was an important factor influencing dietary pattern preference among healthy pregnant women in Beijing.