Association between women's level of education and family daily nutrient intake and obesity status in Iraq

Abstract

Background: Mothers play an important role in controlling family eating habits as well as the type of food consumed. Obesity is one of the causing factors for many diseases. Objectives: This study was designed to determine whether a woman's level of education is associated with the family's daily dietary intake and mother weight status or not. Materials and Methods: A web survey study designed through Google Forms was sent online to the entire Iraqi population from August 26 to September 20, 2020. The survey was distributed through institutional and private social networks (University E-mail, Facebook, Instagram, Viber, and WhatsApp). This method was entirely effective for the research hypothesis. A face-to-face interview was also conducted with illiterate women in public hospitals and medical centers. Results: The study result by 376 participating women showed a significant relationship between the level of education and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.001). No significant relationship was shown between the level of daily dietary intake and BMI. The results also showed a significant association between education and family level of dietary intake (P = 0.003). The study showed a better daily dietary intake with those who do not have a high education level. Conclusions: The study concluded that healthy dietary choices and daily food intake are not related to education level but the mother's nutritional knowledge level.