Affective and interaction social support early in pregnancy are associated with a healthy dietary pattern among pregnant Brazilian women

Abstract

Introduction: Social support is an essential factor for health-related behavior, including eating habits. Little is known about whether social support could promote healthier eating habits during pregnancy. Objective: The aim of the study was to test the association between social support early in pregnancy and gestational dietary patterns. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study with data from 185 healthy adult pregnant women from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Social support was assessed at 5–13 weeks of gestation using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Scale, and five dimensions (material, affective, emotional, information, and interaction) were evaluated. Diet was investigated using a food frequency questionnaire applied at 30–36 weeks of gestation. Three gestational dietary patterns were identified (“Healthy,” “Common-Brazilian,” and “Processed”) using principal component analyses. Results: Women’s age was 26.8±5.5 years, and the highest mean social support scores were for the affective (91.2±17.0) and the interaction dimensions (83.5±17.4). In adjusted linear regression models, the affective (β 0.011; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.001;0.021) and the interaction (β 0.011; 95%CI 0.002–0.020) domains of social support were positively associated with the “Healthy” dietary pattern. No association was observed with the “Common-Brazilian” and “Processed” dietary patterns. Conclusion: Affective and interactional social support in the early stage of pregnancy can promote healthier eating habits during pregnancy.