Antenatal shared care: are pregnant women being adequately informed about iodine and nutritional supplementation?
OBJECTIVES
To assess nutrition-related knowledge and practices, including supplement use, of both pregnant women and healthcare providers that participate in antenatal shared care (ANSC).


METHODS
Pregnant women enrolled in ANSC (n = 142) completed a knowledge and practices survey and a validated iodine-specific Food Frequency Questionnaire. General practitioners (GP) and nurses (N = 61) participating in the ANSC program completed a short survey which assessed their knowledge about nutrition for pregnancy, focussing on iodine.


RESULTS
Both groups had poor knowledge about the importance and roles of iodine during pregnancy. Most women (82%) reported taking a supplement during their current pregnancy, and 70% were taking a supplement containing iodine. Only 26% of GPs discussed iodine supplementation with pregnant patients. The median (IQR) iodine intake of pregnant women was 189 (129-260) μg/day which meets the estimated average requirement (160 μg/day). Half (52%) of women's dietary iodine was provided by dairy foods, and only 7% came from fish and seafood. Most healthcare providers (74%) expressed interest in receiving ongoing professional education about iodine in pregnancy.


CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Ongoing nutrition education for ANSC health practitioners is required to ensure that women receive sufficient dietary advice for optimal pregnancy outcomes. Further research is required to address reasons behind dietary choices of Australian pregnant women.
['Lucas|Catherine J|CJ|', 'Charlton|Karen E|KE|', 'Brown|Lucy|L|', 'Brock|Erin|E|', 'Cummins|Leanne|L|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D019587:Dietary Supplements D005260:Female D005502:Food D058005:General Practitioners D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice D006801:Humans D007455:Iodine D008875:Middle Aged D009726:Nurses D010353:Patient Education as Topic D011247:Pregnancy D011295:Prenatal Care D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D014131:Trace Elements D055815:Young Adult
antenatal shared care iodine supplementation pregnancy diet