Use of a web-based dietary assessment tool in early pregnancy

Background: Maternal diet is critical to fetal development and lifelong health outcomes. In this context, dietary quality indices in pregnancy should be explicitly underpinned by data correlating food intake patterns with nutrient intakes known to be important for gestation. Aims: Our aim was to assess the correlation between dietary quality scores derived from a novel online dietary assessment tool (DAT) and nutrient intake data derived from the previously validated Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire (WFFQ). Methods: 524 women completed the validated semi-quantitive WFFQ and online DAT questionnaire in their first trimester. Spearman correlation and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to test associations between energy-adjusted and energy-unadjusted nutrient intakes derived from the WFFQ, and diet and nutrition scores obtained from the DAT. Results: Positive correlations were observed between respondents’ diet and nutrition scores derived from the online DAT, and their folate, vitamin B₁₂, iron, calcium, zinc and iodine intakes/MJ of energy consumed derived from the WFFQ (all P < 0.001). Negative correlations were observed between participants’ diet and nutrition scores and their total energy intake (P = 0.02), and their percentage energy from fat, saturated fat, and non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) (all P ≤ 0.001). Median dietary fibre, beta carotene, folate, vitamin C and vitamin D intakes derived from the WFFQ, generally increased across quartiles of diet and nutrition score (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: Scores generated by this web-based DAT correlate with important nutrient intakes in pregnancy, supporting its use in estimating overall dietary quality among obstetric populations.