Food taboos and myths in South Eastern Nigeria: The belief and practice of mothers in the region.

Uchenna Ekwochi,Christopher Bismark Eke,Isaac Nwabueze Asinobi,Chidiebere D I Osuorah,Chidiebere D I Osuorah,Ikenna K Ndu,Christian Ifediora

doi:10.1186/s13002-016-0079-x

Abstract

BackgroundPoor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child.MethodsThis study using purposive sampling enrolled 149 women who had carried at least one pregnancy to term in Enugu south east Nigeria. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess association between avoidance of certain food in pregnancy and selected socio-demographic factors.ResultsApproximately 37 % of respondents avoided some foods in pregnancy due to food taboos and no relationship was seen between this avoidance of food and maternal educational attainment, parity (number of obstetrics deliveries) and occupation. Snail and grass-cutter meat were the commonly avoided food in pregnancy while egg were commonly avoided in children under-two years old. Some respondent believed eating snail and grass-cutter meat makes a child sluggish and labour difficult respectively while starting egg early for a child could predispose them to stealing later in life.ConclusionDiscussion about food taboos during antenatal care visits and during community education can help reduce the traditional belief about certain food in pregnancy and early childhood.

Highlights

Poor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child
Description of study area This is a hospital based study conducted over a 3 months period (November 2014- January 2015) in the Antenatal clinics of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) in Parklane Enugu, south eastern part of Nigeria
As shown on the table, none of these variables were significantly associated with avoidance of certain foods due to food taboos in pregnancy

Summary

Introduction

Poor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child. James D’Adamo authored a book titled “One Man’s Food...is Someone Else’s Poison” [1]. This implies that what appeals to a particular group of people as delicacies may be unappealing and in extreme cases forbidden to another group of people. The word taboo in general terms is a belief that forbids association of a group people with other people, places or practices [2]. Food taboos which is a type of these taboos, represents unwritten social rules mainly based on religious and/or historical reasons that regulate food consumption in a community [3]. According to the UNICEF Food-Care Health conceptual framework, cultural norms, taboos and beliefs lie Ekwochi et al Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:7 associated certain maternal socio-demographic factors with adherence to food taboos [13, 14]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion