Eating down or simply eating less? The diet and health implications of these practices during pregnancy and postpartum in rural Bangladesh

ObjectiveTo: (i) determine the prevalence of self-reported eating less and eating down during early and late pregnancy and postpartum, and explore risk factors associated with eating less; (ii) examine the association between eating less and diet quality; and (iii) determine the association between eating less and weight gain during pregnancy.DesignData were collected longitudinally from a cohort of women participating in a community health programme. Diet was assessed at three time points (≤20 weeks' gestation, 36 weeks' gestation, 6 months' postpartum), body weight was measured during study enrolment (≤20 weeks' gestation) and at 36 weeks' gestation, and information about the woman and her household was collected at enrolment.SettingThe Rang-Din Nutrition Study in the Rangpur and Dinajpur districts of Bangladesh.SubjectsWomen (n 4011).ResultsThe prevalence of self-reported eating less differed by time point (75·9 % in early pregnancy, 38·8 % in late pregnancy, 7·4 % postpartum; P