A multicountry, multicenter report to identify nutritional risks in female populations using the FIGO Nutrition Checklist

Abstract

Objective: To identify potential nutritional risks for women using the FIGO Nutrition Checklist in relation to region, age and pregnancy/intention. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using 1515 responses from the online version of the FIGO Nutrition Checklist available on the FIGO website. Participants who responded “No” to at least one dietary question were classified as at potential nutritional risk. Results: Most participants (1432/1515, 94.5%) answered “No” to at least one of the diet quality questions. Low fish intake was the most common potential nutritional risk (687/1515, 45.3%), followed by limited pulses consumption (577/1515, 38.1%). Over half of the participants aged 17–44 years (653/1265, 51.6%) reported not taking a folic acid supplement. More women of post-reproductive age (>45 years) reported achieving the recommended standards for fruit and vegetables (166/236, 70.3% vs. 786/1265, 60.7%, P = 0.005), pulses (178/236, 75.4% vs. 749/1265, 59.2% vs. P < 0.001) and fish (147/236, 62.3% vs. 671/1265, 53% P = 0.009) compared with peak reproductive age participants. More non-pregnant women (<45 years) reported meeting the recommended standards for wholegrain foods (391/480, 81.5% vs. 598/782, 76.5%, P = 0.037) and meat, poultry or eggs (416/480, 86.7% vs. 623/782, 79.7%, P = 0.002) compared with pregnant/planning pregnancy participants. When the five FIGO regions were compared, Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean were more likely to achieve all nutritional requirements followed by North America. Nearly half of the Asia Oceania region reported at least four potential nutritional risks (191/401, 47.6%), higher than other world regions. Conclusion: Nutritional risk is a global concern. The FIGO Nutrition Checklist helps healthcare professionals identify potential nutritional risks in women's diets and supports national and international implementation of nutrition guidelines.