P553 - THE MA.NU. (MATERNITÀ E NUTRIZIONE) PROJECT: AN EXPERIMENTAL TARGETED DIETARY COUNSELING TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE GESTATIONAL WEIGHT

P553

THE MA.NU. (MATERNITÀ E NUTRIZIONE) PROJECT: AN EXPERIMENTAL TARGETED DIETARY COUNSELING TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE GESTATIONAL WEIGHT

S. El Sherbiny¹, E. Lenta^2,*, C. Defile², S. Arlotto², A. Bracco², R. Cane², L. Canta³, D. Longoni², S. Contini³, R. Bono¹, C. Dalla Costa²

¹Dept of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Torino, ²Clinical Nutrition, ³Health Professions Direction, Ferrero Hospital, Verduno, Italy

Rationale: According to WHO, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet are key strategies to prevent excessive gestational weight gain and pregnancy and fetal complications. The MaNu project was developed to address these aspects through targeted dietary counseling. Voluntary participation in a dietary education program during pregnancy is expected to improve weight management.

Methods: In the RCT, healthy pregnant women are enrolled between 12–17 gestational weeks (GWs). The Intervention group (I) attends a course between 12–24 GWs, including 3 theoretical lessons led by dietitians and a practical cooking class led by experienced chefs, while the Control group (C) receives a brochure with dietary recommendations. Dietary habits are assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at three time points, while weight gain is monitored weekly.

Results: A total of 242 women have been enrolled over 2 years. This study analyzes a subset of 106 (I=52, C=54) women who completed all three time points. The I group shows better weight gain management (Chi-squared p=0.012), with 53.7% of the C group exceeding the range, vs. 34.6% of the I group. Paired t-test analyses show comparable results between groups in most dietary intakes. Notable exceptions were a significant decrease in sugar intake in the I group (T0=91g/die vs. T1=83g/die, p=0.026) and an increase in fiber intake (T0=18g/die vs. T1=19g/die, p=0.027; T0=17g/die vs. T2=20g/die, p=0.02).

Conclusion: The intervention, including theoretical lessons led by dietitians and a practical cooking class led by experienced chefs, appears effective in preventing excessive gestational weight gain and improving dietary habits. Further evaluation is needed to assess the full sample and draw final conclusions.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared