Basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure of pregnant Nigerian women

The purpose of the present study was to compare basal metabolic rates (BMR) of pregnant Nigerian women from rural and urban areas with values from similar studies in other Third World countries. We also investigated possible changes in BMR during the course of pregnancy. An open-circuit indirect calorimeter was used to measure BMR and energy expenditure (EE) during sedentary activity in forty-one pregnant Nigerian women. The results showed marked variability in BMR among individuals. A correlation analysis between BMR and other biological and physical characteristics revealed bodyweight and gestation as the only variables related to BMR and oxygen consumption. The study revealed no significant difference between BMR and EE of sedentary activity in the subjects. The wide variability may have been due to the nutritional status of the subjects studied, who were drawn largely from the lower socioeconomic groups of Nigerian society. The present study shows that socioeconomic status and nutritional interventions should be taken into account when framing recommendations for maternal nutrition during pregnancy.