Abstract
Black pregnant individuals bear an inequitable burden of maternal morbidity and mortality and adverse fetal outcomes.1 Behavioral factors including dietary patterns2 and adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) influence these disparities. Nutrition and diet quality are modifiable risk factors that can reduce pregnancy-related complications including cardiometabolic disease.1 The objective of this integrative review is to identify and evaluate research exploring interventions to optimize dietary patterns in Black pregnant individuals.
This review was reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. A comprehensive electronic database search was conducted. Inclusion criteria: full-text articles on intervention studies among pregnant individuals in high-income countries, at least 50% of study population identified as Black or African American. Exclusion criteria: nonscientific articles, study populations with diabetes, invasive gastric surgery, exclusively postpartum. Constant comparison analysis3 was conducted on: publication year, location, sample, setting, study design, intervention details, dietary assessment method, and primary study outcome. Articles were appraised via the Joanna Briggs Institute4,5 and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials6 tools.
Twelve articles from eight studies were eligible. All included articles were favorably appraised. Four studies included Black or African American participants exclusively;7–12 four studies included individuals with obesity or overweight exclusively.9–14 Study design, interventions, and primary outcomes varied across articles. Participant demographics and dietary patterns were inconsistently reported. Use of 24-hour diet recall or investigator-developed dietary assessment questions occurred in five studies.7,9,10,14–18 Only two articles included changes in diet quality as a primary outcome or reported post-intervention changes in diet quality.15,17
The paucity of articles eligible for this review demonstrates continued underrepresentation of Black pregnant individuals in research and highlights the need for interventions to optimize dietary patterns in this population. Future research should prioritize robust reporting of participant demographics, SDOH, and dietary patterns, and increased representation individuals of diverse race, ethnicity, and body composition.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Lambda
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Public and Community Health, Maternal Morbidity
Recommended Citation
Erbe, Katherine; Thorndike, Anne; Nelson, Melissa; Lydston, Melis; and Looby, Sara, "Interventions to Optimize Dietary Patterns in Black Pregnant Individuals: An Integrative Review" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 48.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/48
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Interventions to Optimize Dietary Patterns in Black Pregnant Individuals: An Integrative Review
Seattle, Washington, USA
Black pregnant individuals bear an inequitable burden of maternal morbidity and mortality and adverse fetal outcomes.1 Behavioral factors including dietary patterns2 and adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) influence these disparities. Nutrition and diet quality are modifiable risk factors that can reduce pregnancy-related complications including cardiometabolic disease.1 The objective of this integrative review is to identify and evaluate research exploring interventions to optimize dietary patterns in Black pregnant individuals.
This review was reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. A comprehensive electronic database search was conducted. Inclusion criteria: full-text articles on intervention studies among pregnant individuals in high-income countries, at least 50% of study population identified as Black or African American. Exclusion criteria: nonscientific articles, study populations with diabetes, invasive gastric surgery, exclusively postpartum. Constant comparison analysis3 was conducted on: publication year, location, sample, setting, study design, intervention details, dietary assessment method, and primary study outcome. Articles were appraised via the Joanna Briggs Institute4,5 and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials6 tools.
Twelve articles from eight studies were eligible. All included articles were favorably appraised. Four studies included Black or African American participants exclusively;7–12 four studies included individuals with obesity or overweight exclusively.9–14 Study design, interventions, and primary outcomes varied across articles. Participant demographics and dietary patterns were inconsistently reported. Use of 24-hour diet recall or investigator-developed dietary assessment questions occurred in five studies.7,9,10,14–18 Only two articles included changes in diet quality as a primary outcome or reported post-intervention changes in diet quality.15,17
The paucity of articles eligible for this review demonstrates continued underrepresentation of Black pregnant individuals in research and highlights the need for interventions to optimize dietary patterns in this population. Future research should prioritize robust reporting of participant demographics, SDOH, and dietary patterns, and increased representation individuals of diverse race, ethnicity, and body composition.
Description
Black individuals endure disproportionate rates of pregnancy complications and cardiometabolic illness. Optimizing maternal nutrition may mitigate these risks. This integrative review identified a paucity of research among black pregnant individuals in the context of dietary patterns and nutrition interventions. Research opportunities include enhancing engagement of diverse pregnant individuals, and improved assessment of SDOH to yield tailored dietary interventions for all pregnant individuals.