Consumption of fruits, green vegetables and legumes by pregnant adolescents

Objective: To determine the nutritional status and the factors associated with dietary intake of fruits, green vegetables and legumes by pregnant adolescents attending a public service of reference for prenatal care. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study, with 73 pregnant adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years, attended to at the Service Center for Adolescents (NASA) of the Mother and Child Hospital, in São Luís, Maranhão. The study used the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), anthropometric measurements (weight, height, pregravid and gestational body mass index), and a socioeconomic questionnaire. The dependent variable was the consumption of fruits, green vegetables and legumes, and the independent variables were level of education, civil status, race, income, demographic status, pregnancy and anthropometric data. Results: It was observed that 39.7% had pregravid BMI of malnutrition, 50.7% were eutrophic, and less than 10% were overweight or obese. For the gestational BMI, the values changed, with 27.4% of undernourished pregnant women, 57.5% eutrophic and 15.1% overweight. The highest percentages of adequacy for consumption of fruits, green vegetables and legumes were observed in adolescents who were married or in a stable union (65.4%), did not work (92.3%), and had family income below one minimum wage (84.62%). However, the only positive association found with the consumption of fruits, green vegetables and legumes was the beginning of prenatal care. Conclusion: Themajor part of the evaluated pregnant adolescents was eutrophic, although about one fourth presented low weight during pregnancy. Moreover, they did not consume a balanced diet, with an intake of fruits, green vegetables and legumes below the recommended. Among the factors related to better consumption of these foods, the beginning of prenatal follow-up in the first trimester stands out.