Diet Diversity Is Associated with Prepregnancy Body Mass Index but Not the Pregnancy Third-Trimester Gut Microbiota
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: The prevalence of women entering pregnancy with overweight or obesity is rising in the United States. The dual burden of undernutrition and overweight or obesity can lead to micronutrient deficiencies. Dietary diversity supports micronutrient adequacy and can be assessed using the minimum dietary diversity for women of reproductive age (MDD-W), a food group-based indicator using 24-h dietary recall data. Lower dietary diversity may be associated with lower gut microbiome diversity and overall community composition; however, the relationship during pregnancy is unclear. Objectives: ) investigate whether the pregnancy gut microbiota diversity is associated with dietary diversity. Methods: 114) provided fecal samples for 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing. Results: On the basis of pBMI, 49% of participants had normal weight, 25% had overweight, and 26% had obesity. Parity, income, and marital status differed significantly across pBMI categories. Overall, 20.5% of participants did not meet the minimum dietary diversity (MDD-W score <5). pBMI was inversely correlated with MDD-W scores, with women with obesity having lower dietary diversity than women with normal weight. Consumption of low-nutrient density foods was similar across pBMI categories. Gut microbiome α- and β-diversity were not associated with MDD-W. Conclusions: Although no associations between the gut microbiota and diet diversity were observed, our results confirm that women with higher pBMI may be at risk of inadequate micronutrient intake. These results emphasize the value of dietary diversity screening and intervention in care for women with higher pBMI, given the well-established role of micronutrients for maternal and fetal health during the third trimester and beyond.
Institution: Michigan State University
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,000
Funders: Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, National Institutes of Health, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Awards: G1755700333, G2159124024, G4199439712, G5182050526, G5816824441, Prenatal Exposures and Child Health Outcomes 2: Increasing ECHO Urban and Rural Diversity, G6463273038, G6546593654, G6600767446, A Pre-, Peri-, and Post-natal Approach to Understanding the Risk and Mechanisms for Obesity, G935996681
OpenAlex ID: W7202203969