Dietary intake of pregnant women attending a rural primary health centre in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka state in India

Abstract

Nutrition and health status of pregnant women is important both for quality of their lives and for survival and healthy development of their children. 40 pregnant women with gestational age of 12 weeks or more attending an ante-natal clinic in a rural Primary Health Centre in Dakshina Kannada District in Karnataka state in India participated in this cross-sectional study. Dietary intake was assessed using 24 hours recall method. Haemoglobin level was estimated by acid haematin method and WHO Criteria for anaemia was applied. Among the 40 antenatal women assessed 23(58%) consumed diets deficient in calories by more than 10% of RDA. 14(60.9%) of these 23 respondents who consumed inadequate diet lived in nuclear families, 21(91.3%) had education below intermediate level and 9(39.1%) were unskilled workers and 10(43.4%) were house wives. 36(90%) of the respondents were anaemic. 30(75%) of the respondents had awareness about the Anganwadi Nutrition Programme for pregnant women. Keywords: Dietary intake, Pregnant Women, rural, primary health centre