Dietary Intake and Body Composition in New Users of the Injectable Contraceptive Depot-Medroxyprogesterone Acetate During the First Year of Use

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dietary intake and body composition in new users of the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). STUDY DESIGN: A non-randomized clinical trial. Healthy women (28 DMPA users and 24 copper intrauterine device [IUD] users) were paired for age (1 year) and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2)) (1). Weight, lifestyle habits, and dietary intake recorded using a 3-day food recall form were evaluated at three-monthly intervals during the first year of use of the method. Body composition was assessed at baseline and at 12 months by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Mean age was 29.6 and 28.6 years in DMPA and IUD users, respectively, while BMI was 23.9 and 24.5 kg/m(2), respectively. An increase of approximately 12% was found in calorie intake (kilocalories/24 h) and in all the macronutrients of the diet in the DMPA group from the third month onwards. There was increase in total lean mass (p<0.046) in the DMPA group and no statistically significant difference in body weight be tween the groups. No association was found between dietary intake and weight gain. CONCLUSION: When initiating use, new DMPA users should be counseled regarding possible changes in dietary intake.