Impact of nutrition counselling on the nutritional status of the gestational diabetics

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1 Journal of Ecofriendly Agriculture 10(2): : 2015 Impact of nutrition counselling on the nutritional status of the gestational diabetics Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Home Science, PAU, Ludhiana, India khush.18sr@gmail.com ABSTRACT Sixty patients suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus in the age group of 2040 years were selected from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and other local hospitals of Ludhiana. General information, family history and dietary pattern was recorded by interview schedule. In 2 groups, i.e., experimental (E) and control (C). Counselling was imparted for three months (group E) at 15 days interval about gestational diabetes, sign and symptoms, causes, risk factors, complications, management and dietary management. The anthropometric parameters were also measured. Results revealed that the mean daily intake of cereals ( g), pulses ( g), green leafy vegetables ( g), other vegetables ( g), fruits ( g) and milk and milk products ( ml) were increased significantly, while roots and tubers ( g), fats and oils ( g) and sugar and jaggery (110 50g) were decreased significantly in group E. The mean daily intake of energy ( kacl) and protein ( g) was increased significantly and total fat ( g) decreased in E. In case of this group, the mean daily intake of vitamins and minerals were also increased significantly. Similarly, anthropometric parameters were better after nutrition counselling. Thus, it can be inferred from the study that nutrition counselling significantly improved the nutritional status of the patients suffering from gestational diabetes mellitus. Key word: Food, status, nutritional, anthropometric profile, gestational diabetic. Gestational diabetes affects women during pregnancy. Pregnant women, who have not been diabetic before, but have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes (GD). Normally, the disease affects women quite late in her pregnancy, around the 24 th week. The disease does not show noticeable signs or symptoms. In some cases however, gestational diabetes may cause excessive thirst or increased urination. During pregnancy, body produces a number of hormones (chemicals), such as oestrogen, progesterone and human placental lactogen. These hormones make body insulinresistant, which means cells respond less well to insulin and the level of glucose in blood remains high. The purpose of this hormonal effect is to allow the extra glucose and nutrients in blood to pass to the foetus so it can grow. In order to cope with the increased amount of glucose in blood, body should produce more insulin. However, some women can not produce enough insulin in pregnancy to transport the glucose into the cells, or their body cells are more resistant to insulin. Diabetes in pregnancy is associated with risks to the woman and developing fetus. A number of complications are also common in babies born to women with preexisting diabetes (NICE, 2008). Pregnant and lactating women are recognized as vulnerable group from the health and nutritional point of view and requires additional nutritional supports. It is well known that the nutritional status of mother prior to and during pregnancy has a strong impact on the reproductive performance and on the health of both mother and the child. During adolescence, iron deficiency anemia not only reduce work productivity, also leads to complications of pregnancy. In the absence of adequate nutrition, the development of the foetus takes place at the expense of the mother. Nutrition is considered as one of the major factors in determining the future wellbeing of a child (Shobeiri and Begum, 2005; Vasanthamani and Devi, 2009; Kalpana and Habeeba, 2013). Keeping this in view the present study was undertaken with the specific objective of studying the impact of nutrition counselling on the food and nutrient adequacy of the gestational diabetics. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of 60 patients suffering from gestational diabetes in the age group of 40 to 60 years were selected from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital and other local hospitals of Ludhiana city and were equally divided into two groups viz., experimental (E) and control (C). Nutrition counselling was imparted to group E, while group C was not given any counselling. Dietary intake was recorded for three consecutive days by using 24 hour recall method using standardized containers before and after nutrition counselling. The average daily nutrient intake was calculated using Michigan State University (MSU) Nutriguide Computer 2015

2 Programme (Song et al. 1992). The nutrient intake was compared with recommended dietary allowances by ICMR (2010) and per cent adequacy of the various foods and nutrients were calculated before and after nutrition counselling. Anthropometric parameters, height, weight, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) and waist hip ratio were recorded before and after nutrition counselling using standard methods of Jelliffe (1966). Based on the measurements, body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Nutrition counselling was imparted for the period of 3 months at every 15 days interval regarding gestational diabetes, its signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, complications, management, dietary management and importance of exercise. Booklet containing all the above mentioned information along with food exchange lists and weekly sample menu were distributed among all the clients (experimental people). Special emphasis was given to make them aware of balanced diet, increased consumption of fibrous foods such as fruits with peels, vegetables, whole grains and pulses and increased physical activity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Study revealed that the 70 and 83.3 per cent of the subjects were in the age group of 20 to 30 years, while 30 and 16.7 per cent were in the age group of 31 to 40 years in group E and C respectively (Table 1). It was found that majority of Table 1. General information about experimental people (subjects) Parameter Group E Group C Age: (70) 9 (30) 25 (83.3) Religion: Hindu Sikh Muslim 17 (56.6) 2 (6.7) 13 (43.3) 16 (53.3) 1(3.4) Education: High school Higher secondary Graduate Post graduate 4 (13.3) 12 (40) 4 (13.3) 15 (50) Family type: Nuclear Joint 25 (83.3) 7 (23.3) 23 (76.7) Family size: >8 20 (66.6) 7 (23.3) 20 (66.7) Figures in parenthesis are percentage, n = number of subjects in each group. subjects, i.e., 56.6 per cent belonged to Hindu religion, 36.7 to Sikh religion and only 6.7 per cent to Muslim religion in group E. However, in group C these were 43.3, 53.3 and 3.4 per cent. The 10 per cent of the subjects were studied up to high school in group E and none in group C, while the subjects belong to higher secondary, graduate post graduate in group E and C were 13.3 and 13.3, 36.7 and 36.7 and 40 and 50 per cent. Majority of subjects belonged to joint families (83.3 & 76.7%). Percentage of subjects belonged to nuclear families, were 16.7 and 23.3 per cent (Table 1). Further, it was observed that 16.7 and 23.3 per cent of the subjects belonged to families having 2 to 4 members, whereas 66.6 and 66.7 per cent were in the category of 4 to 8 members in group E and C, respectively. Rest of the subjects, i.e., 16.7 and 10 per cent had more than eight members in their families in the groups E and C. Diabetic information Majority of the subjects, 93.3 and 90 per cent had family history of diabetes and only 6.7 and 10 per cent not had family history of diabetes in group E and C. Mothers of 42.9 and 37 per cent were found suffering from diabetes, whereas this percentage was nil and in case of father in group E and C. Similarly, grandparents (21.4 & 25.9%), motherinlaw (14.3 & 11.1%), fatherinlaw (3.6 & nil) and grandparentsinlaw (17.9 & 11.10%) were suffering from diabetes in groups E and C (Table 2). Findings revealed that Table 2. Particular Family history of diabetes of the subjects (experimental people). Family history: Yes No If, yes then Mother Father Grand parents Motherinlaw Fatherinlaw Grand parentsinlaw Disease diagnosed: 5 th month 6 th month Medicines: Yes No Group E 28 (93.3) 2 (6.7) 12 (42.9) 6 (21.4) 4 (14.3) 1 (3.6) 5 (17.9) 20 (66.7) 10 (33.3) 30 (100) Group C 27 (90) 10 (37) 4 (14.8) 7 (25.9) 3 (11.1) 3 (11.1) 22 (73.3) 8 (26.7) 30 (100) Figures in parenthesis are percentage, n = number of subjects in each group. 192 Journal of Ecofriendly Agriculture 10(2) 2015

3 Impact of nutrition counselling on the nutritional status of the gestational diabetics 66.7 and 73.3 per cent of the subjects diagnosed disease in 5 th month while 33.3 and 26.7 per cent in 6 th month. All the patients were on diet control, i.e., cent per cent patient were not taking any medicine for gestational diabetes. Food intake The adequacy of cereals in group E and C was 65.2 and 68 g and 79 and 72.5 g before and after nutrition counselling. Majority of the subjects included broken wheat and whole wheat flour to their diets. Increase of whole cereal intake could be due to effect of nutrition education given to group E about the ill effects on the health by consumption of refined cereals. The adequacy of pulses of group E and C was 65.9 and 65.6 and 73.9 and 69.3 g before and after nutrition counselling (Table 3). The subjects were taught about the importance of protein and sprouting. The green leafy vegetables intake adequacy was only 60.3 and 61.9 and 90.7 and 65.3 g before and after nutrition counselling. The subjects were educated to increase intake of spinach and asparagus as they are good source of beta carotene and fiber. The low intake could be due to the lack of knowledge about the green leafy vegetables as a cheap and best source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The intake adequacy in case of roots and tubers, vegetables in group E and C were 82.2 and 76.2 and 30.7 and 75.4 g, whereas these were 66.4 and 72.3 and 83.7 and 74.3 g before and after nutrition counselling (Table 3). During nutrition counselling sessions, the subjects were advised to increase the intake of other vegetables like pumpkin, turnip, bottle guard, ash guard and beans, which are high in fiber and results in more satiety. The fruit consumption by group E and C was 50 and 54.7 and 97.7 and 70 g before and after counselling. Subjects were taught about the importance of fruits, as these are good source of vitamins and minerals, necessary for good health. Milk was consumed in the form of tea, curd, buttermilk and paneer. Milk and milk products intake were 78.1 and 81.4 and 98.1 and 83.9 ml in group E and C before and after nutrition counselling. The intake of fats and oils was and and 93.7 and g before and after nutrition counselling in group E and C (Table 3). Similarly, the adequacy of sugar and jaggery was 110 and 85.4 and 50 and 76.4 g (Table 3). During nutrition counselling sessions, the subjects were taught to reduce the intake of sugar as it resulted in overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension etc. Subjects were also taught to avoid soft drinks and squashes because they contain huge amount of sugar. Nutrients intake The adequacy of energy was and and and kcal in group E and C before and after nutrition counselling, whereas the adequacy of protein was 64 and 65.3 and 73.8 and 65.3 g (Table 4). Before nutrition counselling the intake of protein was less as compared to ICMR (2010) in both the groups, possibly due to the vegetarian dietary habits of the subjects. Goyal (2003) reported a deficient protein intake (46.5 g) among adult Punjabi women. Deepti et al. (2006) also reported a low protein intake, i.e., 40.7 g among Table 3. Adequacy of food intake of the subjects before and after nutrition counselling Food group Group E Group C Before After Before After Cereals (g) Pulses (g) Green leafy vegetables (g) Roots and tubers (g) Other vegetables (g) Fruits (g) Milk and milk products (ml) Fats and oils (g) Sugar and jaggery (g) Table 4. Adequacy of nutrient intake of the subjects before and after nutrition counselling Group E Group C Nutrient Before After Before After Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Total fat (g) Journal of Ecofriendly Agriculture 10(2)

4 Indian women. The per cent adequacy of fats decreased from 167 to 117 g in group E, while in group C, adequacy decreased from to g (Table 4). The subjects of group E and C were ignorant about the ill effects of more fat intake during gestational diabetes, but during counselling sessions, the subjects of group E reduced fat intake in their daily dietaries. Vitamins intake The adequacy of thiamine intake was 83.3 and 93.3 and and 98.3 mg before and after nutrition counselling in group E and C, respectively, whereas riboflavin was 65.8 and 63.6 and 85.7 and 75 mg (Table 5). The niacin intake in group E and C was and and and mg before and after counselling. According to Bruso (2013) niacin deficiency is also a concern during pregnancy and it is relatively common. The adequacy of pyridoxine was 56 and 52 and 72 and 56 mg before and after counselling in group E and C, while in case of vitamin B12 it was 63.3 and 65 and 84.2 and 76.7 µg. The intake of âcarotene was 60.3 and 62.6 and 82.4 and 65.9 µg before and after counselling (Table 5). During nutrition counselling the subjects of group E were taught to increase intake of âcarotene, as it is rich in antioxidants and found in many fruits and vegetables and good for health. The folic acid intake was 34.9 and 36.4 and 45.1 and 38.3 µg. The increase in folic acid intake could be due to increased intake of cereals. All the patients were taking folic acid supplement, as prescribed by the doctor. Mineral intake The adequacy of intake of minerals are given in Table 6. The adequacy of calcium was 75 and 75.5 and 96.1 and 84.2 mg before and after counselling. The calcium intake was higher due to more consumption of milk and milk products. The adequacy of phosphorus was 73.8 and 74.2 and 95.2 and 84.2 mg. The high intake of phosphorus may be due to high intake of cereals, vegetables and milk and milk products. The adequacy of magnesium intake was 72.7 and 71.6 and 83.6 and 78.1 mg before and after nutrition counselling, while in case of iron it was 53.6 and 54.4 and 71.7 and 60 mg. Hwang et al. (2013) reported that iron is necessary for normal fetal growth and development and the physiological iron requirements during the second half of pregnancy, cannot be achieved by dietary iron only. Anthropometric profile The mean height of subjects was 157.7±3.3 and 158.2±3.1 cm in group E and C. Sohlberg et al. (2012) reported a short maternal stature and a high BMI increase risks of preeclampsia of all severities. Mean weight of subjects was 70.9±8.6 kg and 70.9 ±8.2 kg before nutrition counselling in group E and C, respectively (Table 7). The corresponding value after nutrition counselling were 75.9±9.3 kg, while in group C, it was 81.9±9.2. The results revealed that there was a gradual increase in body weight with the increase in pregnancy months. Mean body mass index of subjects Table 5. Adequacy of vitamins intake of the subjects before and after nutrition counselling Vitamin Group E Group C Before After Before After Thiamine (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg) Pyridoxin (mg) Vitamin B12 (µg) β carotene (µg) Vitamin E (mg) Folic acid (µg) Ascorbic acid (mg) Table 6. Adequacy of minerals intake of the subjects before and after nutrition counselling Group E Group C Mineral Before After Before After Calcium (mg) Phosphorous (mg) Magnesium (mg) Iron (mg) Zinc (mg) Journal of Ecofriendly Agriculture 10(2) 2015

5 Impact of nutrition counselling on the nutritional status of the gestational diabetics Table 7. Anthropometric parameters of the subjects before and after nutrition counselling Group E Group C Variable Before After Paired tvalue Before After Paired t value Height (cm) 157.7± ± ± ±3.1 Weight (kg) 70.9± ± * 70.9± ± NS BMI (kg m 2 ) 28.6± ± ** 28.7± ± NS MUAC (cm) 25.2± ± ** 25.5± ± NS TSFT (mm) 16.1± ± ** 19.6± ± NS WHR 1.3± ± ± ± NS NS Non significant, *Significant at 1%, **Significant at 5% increased from 28.6±5.1 to 30.6±5.6 kg m 2 in group E and 28.7±4.7 and 31.9±4.7 kg m 2 in group C after nutrition counselling. In the present study, the increase in body mass index after nutrition counselling in group E was due to increase in body weight in the last months of pregnancy. The mean values of MUAC was 25.2±11.8 and 25.5±12.8 cm before counselling in group E and C, while it was 26.2±12.7 and 29.5±12.7 cm in group E and C after counselling. The mean values of TSFT were 16.1±1.8 and 19.6±1.7 mm and 19.9±1.8 and 20.6±1.9 mm in group E and C before and after counselling (Table 7). The waist hip ratio before and after counselling was 1.3±0.1 and 0.8±0.1 and 1.9±0.1 and 1.2±0.1 in group E and C, respectively. Salem et al. (2011) reported women with increased WHRs were significantly more likely to give birth to macrosomic newborns. The result of the present study suggest need to focus attention on nutrition counselling of gestational diabetics so as to facilitate the intake of increase amount of foods like whole cereals, pulses, sprouted pulses, fruits and vegetables and controlled intake of fried foods and sweets. Thus, it can be inferred from the study that the nutrition counselling can be an effective measure for brining favorable and significant changes in the nutritional status of gestational diabetics. REFERENCES Bruso, J How much niacin is okay during pregnancy. / Deepti, L., Joyti, L. and Parkash, J Diet related risk factors for osteoporosis in peri and post menopausal Indian women. Indian Journal of Nutrition Dietetics,43: Goyal, U Fat and fatty acid intake by women from urban and semiurban areas. M.Sc. Thesis, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. Hwang, J.Y., Lee, Y.Y., Kim, K.N., Kim, H., Ha, E.H., Park, H., Ha, M., Yangho, Kim, Hong, Y.C. and Chang, N Maternal iron intake at midpregnancy is associated with reduced fetal growth: results from Mothers and Children s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study. Nutrition Journal, 12: 38. ICMR Nutrient requirements and recommended dietary allowances for Indians. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, India. Jelliffe, D.B The assessment of nutritional status of the community. WHO Monograph Series No. 53, Geneva, pp Kalpana, C.A. and Habeeba, B Effect of random fasting on the nutritional status of newborn. Indian Journal of Nutritional Dietetics, 50: NICE Diabetes in pregnancy: Management of diabetes and its complications from preconception to the postnated period. Salem, W., Adler, A.I., Lee, C. and Smith, G.C.S Maternal waist to hip ratio is a risk factor for macrosomia. Annals of International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 119: Shobeiri, F. and Begum, K Food, preferences and nutrient adequacy among selected expected mothers of Mysore city. Indian Journal of Nutritional Dietetics, 42: Sohlberg, S., Stephansson, O., Cnattinqius, S. and Wikstrom, A.K Maternal body mass index, height, and risks of preeclampsia. American Journal of Hypertens, 25: Song, W.O., Mann, S.K., Sehgal, S., Devi, P.R., Gadaru, S. and Kakarala, M Nutriguide, Asian Indian Foods, Nutritional Analysis Computer Programme. Michigan State University, U.S.A., pp Vasanthamani, G. and Devi, R.E.D Development and evaluation of iron rich health drink on anaemic adolescent girls. Indian Journal of Nutritional Dietetics, 46: Manuscript received on Manuscript accepted for Publication on Journal of Ecofriendly Agriculture 10(2)