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Effects of a Mediterranean Diet Intervention on Maternal Stress, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality throughout Gestation—The IMPACT-BCN Trial
Pregnant women frequently experience stress and anxiety. Casas et al. (2023) aimed to assess how a Mediterranean diet intervention during pregnancy might affect a mother’s stress, well-being, and sleep. At 19–23 weeks gestation, 1221 high-risk pregnant women were randomly assigned to one of three groups – standard care, a Mediterranean diet intervention, or the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program – in a randomized clinical trial. All female participants completed self-reported lifestyle questionnaires to assess their anxiety, sleep, and well-being (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS], State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI], WHO Five Well Being Index [WHO-5], and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]) at enrollment and conclusion of the intervention (34–36 weeks). The levels of cortisol and associated metabolites were also tested in a subset of 106 randomly selected women. Analysis of the results revealed that participants in the Mediterranean diet group after the intervention (34–36 weeks) had substantially lower subjective stress and anxiety ratings and higher sleep quality than those receiving standard care. Women in the Mediterranean diet group also saw a more pronounced rise in their 24-hour urine cortisone/cortisol ratio throughout pregnancy as compared to women receiving standard care. The authors conclude that an intervention using the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy is linked to considerable reductions in stress and anxiety in mothers and to improved sleep throughout the pregnancy. [NPID: Mediterranean diet, pregnancy, anxiety, well being, sleep quality]
Year: 2023
