Socioeconomic correlates of adherence to mineral intake recommendations among pregnant women in north China: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to examine the socioeconomic correlates of adherence to minimum mineral intake recommended by the Chinese Dietary Guidelines during each trimester of pregnancy among Chinese women. Methods and Study Design: A total of 567 pregnant women with foetal age of 6 - 12 weeks were recruited from nine community health centres and three hospitals. Cross-sectional survey data were collected using structured interviews and questionnaires. Mineral intake was calculated from food consumption reported on 24-hour dietary reviews using the Chinese Food Composition Metrics. Logistic regression models were estimated to assess the relationship between sociodemographic factors and adherence to mineral intake recommendations for each trimester. Results: Significant predictors of adherence to mineral intake recommendations include: (1) age (zinc: OR=1.09, p<0.05; copper: OR=1.11, p<0.05), having bachelor's degree (copper: OR=2.23, p<0.05; phosphorus: OR=2.23, p<0.01), and household income >= 5,000 RMB (potassium: OR=2.51, p<0.001; phosphorus: OR=1.91, p<0.05) during the first trimester, (2) being employed (zinc: OR=0.54, p<0.001; selenium: OR=0.53, p<0.05) and household income >= 5,000 RMB (zinc: OR=1.86, p<0.05) during the second trimester, and (3) husband/partner with associate degree or vocational school education (selenium: OR=3.26, p<0.01) and household income of 3,000-4,999 RMB (potassium: OR=1.71, p<0.05; zinc: OR=1.48, p<0.05) during the third trimester. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the relationship between socioeconomic factors and mineral intake among Chinese pregnant women at three trimesters. Findings highlight the importance of considering individuals' socioeconomic status to develop personalized interventions to prevent undernutrition among this population.