Association of nutrient intake and dietary patterns with serum folate and anemia-related biomarkers in Taiwanese pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweightness or obesity

Pre-pregnancy overweightness or obesity affects nutritional status and micronutrient imbalance such as folate and iron during pregnancy. We studied the relationships between micronutrient intake and dietary patterns with serum folate and iron biomarkers among pregnant population with pre-pregnancy overweightness or obesity. This cross-sectional study utilized data from 2017-2019 Nationwide Nutrition and Health Survey. Participants (<i>n</i> = 436) were Taiwanese pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweightness or obesity. Dietary evaluation was conducted by food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall. Dietary patterns were developed by principal component analysis. Serum folate and iron biomarkers were measured. Logistic and linear regression models were employed to investigate the associations of dietary patterns with serum folate and iron biomarkers. Participants with the highest tertile of serum folate were older, and had less proportion of high parity. After adjusting covariates, the intake of DP-1 (mushrooms, roots, and dairy DP) (β = 0.052; 95% CI = 0.008-0.119; <i>p</i> < 0.05) or DP-3 (vegetables and fruits DP) (β = 0.056; 95% CI = 0.034-0.076; <i>p</i> < 0.05) was associated with increased serum folate. The consumption of DP-4 (animal DP) showed a significant association with elevated serum iron, ferritin, and vitamin B-12. The consumption of DP-1 or DP-3 was linked to a decreased risk of low serum folate. However, the intake of DP-3 was correlated with an increased risk of low serum ferritin. A reduced risk of low serum iron and vitamin B-12 was observed in participants consuming DP-4. The dairy and plant dietary patterns were positively associated with serum folate, and the animal dietary pattern was positively correlated with serum iron and vitamin B-12 in pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweightness or obesity.