Food literacy and lifestyle factors in pregnancy: results from the SaperePer Study

Background

Health literacy and, specifically, food literacy have recently emerged as key targets for the prevention of non-communicable diseases, a major burden on healthcare systems. The SaperePer Study was designed to evaluate pregnant women’s knowledge on key topics, including prenatal screening, diet, and physical activity (PA). These outcomes were analysed alongside sociodemographic and health-related variables to support the development of tailored, health-promoting interventions for maternal and fetal well-being, and to empower women towards informed choices to reduce health risks during pregnancy.

Methods

A survey was administered to over 1400 pregnant women attending two Hospitals in Piedmont region, north-western Italy, to assess their dietary habits and lifestyle behaviours. A diet score, reflecting food literacy levels, was calculated. Differences in food literacy scores were assessed using independent t-tests, comparing participants who reported engaging or not in each lifestyle behaviour (PA, sleep, smoking, alcohol consumption), or using an ANOVA (supplementations).

Results

1254 women completed the survey. Higher food literacy scores were associated with healthier behaviours, including regular moderate PA (p < 0.001), adequate sleep (≥6 hours, p = 0.003), use of supplements: regular users had the highest food literacy scores, followed by non-users, while occasional users showed the lowest scores (p = 0.044, p < 0.001). In contrast, lower scores were linked to detrimental behaviours such as smoking (p < 0.001) and alcohol consumption (p < 0.001). Lower food literacy was also associated with poorer self-perceived health status (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Food literacy is strongly associated with overall lifestyle behaviours and perceived health, highlighting its potential role as a target for preventive strategies during pregnancy. Integrating food literacy into antenatal care could contribute to reduce health inequalities and improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

Key messages

• Higher food literacy in pregnant women is strongly associated with healthier lifestyle behaviours (physical activity, sleep, supplement use) and better self-perceived health.

• Embedding structured food literacy interventions within routine antenatal care could improve maternal and fetal outcomes while helping reduce socioeconomic health inequalities.