Ranking of iron, vitamin D and calcium intakes in relation to maternal characteristics of pregnant Canadian women

Introduction: Iron, vitamin D and calcium intakes in the prenatal period are important determinants of maternal and foetal health. Objective: To examine iron, vitamin D and calcium intake from diet and supplements in relation to maternal characteristics. Methods: Data were collected in a subsample of 1186 pregnant women from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a cohort study including pregnant women recruited from 10 Canadian sites between 2008 and 2011. A FFQ was administered to obtain a ranking of iron, calcium and vitamin D intake (16-21 weeks of pregnancy). Intakes from supplements were obtained from a separate questionnaire (6-13 weeks of pregnancy). Women were divided into 2 groups according to the median total intake of each nutrient. Results: Supplement intake was an important contributor to total iron intake (median 74%: IQR 0-81%) and total vitamin D intake (median 60%: IQR 0-73%), while the opposite was observed for calcium (median 18%: IQR 0-27%). Being born outside of Canada was significantly associated with lower total intakes of iron, vitamin D and calcium (pâ ¤0.01 for all). Consistent positive indicators of supplement use (iron, vitamin D and calcium) were maternal age over 30 years and holding a university degree. Conclusions: Among Canadian women, the probability of having lower iron, vitamin D and calcium intake is higher among those born outside Canada. Supplement intake is a major contributor to iron and vitamin D total intakes. Higher education level and age over 30 years were associated with supplement intake.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author