Table 1.

The FFD study. The components underlying the construction of 10 subscales that constitutes the FFD dietary score based on the 10 dietary recommendations for preventing excess weight gain during pregnancy and forwarded to the intervention group in the FFD study (n = 106)

Dietary recommendations	Related FFQ question(s)	Response alternatives and coding	Calculations	Possible range of each subscale	Median = cut‐off	Dietary behaviour associated with scoring
1. Eat regular meals	How often do you eat breakfast lunch dinner evening meal/supper	Never = 0 Less than once a week = 0.5 Once a week = 1 Twice a week = 2 Three times a week = 3 Four times a week = 4 Five times a week = 5 Six times a week = 6 Every day = 7	Sum of answers to the four questions	0–28 meals a week	Test: 26 Retest: 25	Test: ≤25 meals week−1 = 0 ≥26 meals week−1 = 1 Retest: ≤24 meals week−1 = 0 ≥25 meals week−1 = 1
2. Drink water when thirsty	How often do you drink tap water bottled water carbonised water whole‐fat milk low‐fat milk skimmed milk juice fruit drinks or nectar sugar‐containing beverages artificially sweetened beverages alcohol‐containing beverages	Never = 0 Less than once a week = 0.5 Once a week = 1 Twice a week = 2 Three a week = 3 Four times a week = 4 Five times a week = 5 Six times a week = 6 Every day = 7 Several times a day = 10	Sum of water intake events (frequency) divided by sum of all other drink intake events (frequency) multiplied by 100	0–100%	Test: 40% Retest: 38%	Test: <40% of drinking events is water = 0 ≥40% of drinking events is water = 1 Retest: <38% of drinking events is water = 0 ≥38% of drinking events is water = 1
3. Eat vegetables with dinner every day	How often do you eat vegetables with dinner?	Never to daily (0–7)	No calculation	0–7	Test: 5 Retest: 4	Test: <5 times week−1 = 0 ≥5 times week−1 = 1 Retest: <4 times week−1 = 0 ≥4 times week−1 = 1
4. In between meals – choose fruits or vegetables	How often do you eat fruits or vegetables as an in‐between meal? How often do you eat in‐between meals?	Never to several times a day (0–10)	Frequency of eating fruits or vegetables in between meals divided by frequency of having in‐between meals multiplied by 100	0–100%	Test: 80% Retest: 86%	Test: Fruits/vegetables <80% of in‐between meals = 0 Fruits/vegetables ≥80% of in‐between meals = 1 Retest: Fruits/vegetables <86% of in‐between meals Fruits/vegetables ≥86% of in‐between meals
5. Eat sweets and snacks only when you really appreciate it	How often do you eat sweets or unhealthy foods without really appreciating it?	Never to several times a day (0–10)	No calculation	0–10	Test: 0.5 Retest: 0.5	Test and retest: Never eating sweets without appreciation = 1 Sometimes eating sweets without appreciation = 0
6. Buy small portion sizes of unhealthy foods	Which size of the following three items do you usually buy? crisps chocolate soda	Small = 0 Big = 1	Sum of three answers	0–3	Test: 3 Retest: 3	Test and retest: Buying small portion size of at least one of the three items = 1 Buying big size of all three items = 0
7. Limit your intake of added sugar	How often do you have sugar‐sweetened fruit drinks soda cookies/crackers sweet breads cake/muffins sugar‐containing cereals sugar‐containing fruit yoghurt chocolate/sweets How often do you add sugar to your food?	Never to several times a day (0–10)	Sum of answers to the nine questions	0–90	Test: 10 Retest: 10	Test and retest: <10 (approximately equivalent to eating food with added sugar once a day or less) = 1 ≥10 (approximately equivalent to eating food with added sugar more than once a day) = 0
8. Limit your intake of salt	How often do you eat salted crackers noodles crisps or other salted snacks hot dogs from kiosk/gas station fried potato chips from fast‐food restaurants canned or freeze‐dried food How often do you add salt to your food?	Never to several times a day (0–10)	Sum of answers to the seven questions	0–70	Test: 7.5 Retest: 7.5	Test and retest: <7.5 (fast‐foods, snacks or salting of food no more than once a day) = 1 ≥7.5 (fat‐foods, snacks or salting of foods more than once a day = 0
9. Do not eat beyond satiety	How often do you eat beyond satiety?	Never to several times a day (0–10)	No calculation	0–10	Test: 1 Retest: 1	Test and retest: Less than once a week = 1 Once a week or more = 0
10. Read nutrition labels on foods before buying		Never = 1 Sometimes = 2 Usually = 3 Always = 4	No calculation	1–4	Test: 2 Retest: 2	Test and retest: Never reading labels = 0 sometimes or often reading labels = 1
Total FFD score			Sum of the 10 dichotomised subscales	0–10	Test: 5 Retest: 5	Adherence test and retest: ≤3.5 = low 4–5.5 = medium ≥6 = high

FFD, fit for delivery; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire.