Ghana: A recent study published in the journal Indoor Air, provides first evidence on the ameliorating role of vitamin D intake on the effect of household air pollution (HAP) exposure on pregnancy disorders.
The findings suggest that health workers should advise mothers during antenatal care visits to increase intake of vitamin D rich foods in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) where the use of solid fuel and garbage burning at home is widespread.
Till date, only three studies have investigated the association of HAP exposure with pregnancy disorders. However, the ameliorating role of diet and nutrition in the association has never been explored. Considering this, Adeladza K. Amegah, Public Health Research Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study of 799 mothers who had recently given singleton birth in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.
HAP exposure (from use of biomass fuels for cooking and garbage burning at home) and vitamin D (vitD) intake were assessed respectively using structured questionnaire and semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.
Based on the study, the researchers found the following:
Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to investigate the association between HAP exposure and pregnancy disorders.
HAP exposure due to cooking with biomass fuels and garbage burning at home was associated with two fold (AOR = 2.15) and six fold (AOR = 6.35) increased odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).
For gestational diabetes (GDM), the increased odds were two folds for both exposures but the 95% CI included the null value. Stove stacking was also associated with two folds increased odds of GDM (AOR = 1.83).
In stratified analysis, the odds of HDP and GDM associated with biomass fuels use decreased with increasing vitD intake.
"We provide the first evidence on the ameliorating role of vitD intake on the effect of HAP exposure on pregnancy disorders," wrote the authors.
Reference:
The study titled, "Vitamin D intake modifies the association of household air pollution exposure with maternal disorders of pregnancy," is published in the journal Indoor Air.
DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ina.12963