Associations Between Hygiene- and Nutrition-Related Practices and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and

Objectives

Pregnancy is accompanied by physiological, hormonal, immunological, and metabolic changes that may increase susceptibility to infections and adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate hygiene- and nutrition-related behaviors among pregnant or previously pregnant women and to assess their associations with infections, pregnancy complications, and pregnancy outcomes. Materials and

Methods

An observational, descriptive, and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire administered to women aged 18-40 years from Timiș County, Romania, who were currently pregnant or had experienced at least one previous pregnancy. A total of 361 participants were included in the final analysis. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, followed by multivariable binary logistic regression. Multicollinearity was assessed using variance inflation factors, and Firth's penalized logistic regression was performed as a sensitivity analysis.

Results

In multivariable analyses, occasional intimate hygiene, compared with twice-daily intimate hygiene, was associated with higher odds of vaginal candidiasis (aOR = 6.63; 95% CI: 2.29-19.17) and urinary tract infection (aOR = 4.36; 95% CI: 1.73-10.99). An unbalanced diet was associated with higher odds of pregnancy complications compared with a balanced diet (aOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.26-4.30). Compared with women reporting three or more supplements, women reporting no supplementation had markedly higher odds of an adverse pregnancy outcome (aOR = 46.15; 95% CI: 20.45-104.15), while each additional previous abortion was associated with higher odds of an adverse outcome (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.41-3.59). Firth sensitivity analysis attenuated the estimate for no supplementation (OR = 37.54; 95% CI: 17.89-85.32) but did not materially change the principal findings.

Conclusions

Intimate hygiene frequency, nutritional supplementation, perceived diet quality, and reproductive history were associated with pregnancy-related outcomes in this study. These findings support structured prenatal assessment and counselling regarding nutrition, evidence-based supplementation, reproductive history, and appropriate hygiene practices. Because of the cross-sectional observational design and potential residual confounding, the findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.