Nutritional Knowledge and Practices Among Expectant Mothers in Olorunda Local Government Area, Osogbo Osun State

Adeola Oluwaseun Oshineye,Quadri Kunle Alabi,Olariike Oyindasola Kayode

doi:10.11648/j.ijfsb.20210603.11

Adeola Oluwaseun Oshineye, Quadri Kunle Alabi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijfsb.20210603.11

Copy DOI

Abstract

Maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy is an important determinant of birth weight, high rate of low birth weight in developing countries has been attributed to poor maternal nutrition. The study assessed the nutritional knowledge and practices among expectant mothers in Olorunda Local Government Area, Osogbo Osun State. A Cross-Sectional study was conducted among 290 pregnant women between ages 15 to 49. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional knowledge and practices of respondents. Larger percentage (85.9%) of respondents had good nutritional knowledge and 14.1% had poor knowledge. Also, 81.7% had good nutritional practice while 18.3% had poor nutritional practice. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, using chi-square there was no association between nutritional knowledge and age (X2=2.911, p – value=0.573). There was an association between knowledge and level of education (X2=13.713, p – value=0.003) and there was no significant relationship between nutritional knowledge and nutritional practice of expectant mothers (X2=1.195, p-value=0.188). Nutritional knowledge and practice is high among expectant mothers in this study. However, women with no formal education had poor nutritional knowledge and practices and should be the target for nutrition education intervention.

Highlights

Nutritional knowledge has been proven to play a vital role in adopting optimal health of every expectant mothers
Maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy is an important determinant of birth weight, high rate of low birth weight in developing countries has been attributed to poor maternal nutrition [1]
This agrees with the findings of Ochogu where it was observed that nutritional knowledge was greater than nutritional practice among the subjects [8]

Summary

Introduction

Nutritional knowledge has been proven to play a vital role in adopting optimal health of every expectant mothers. Maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy is an important determinant of birth weight, high rate of low birth weight in developing countries has been attributed to poor maternal nutrition [1]. Inadequate nutrition is the predominant factor leading to malnutrition, which can be expressed as either undernutrition or overnutrition. Undernutrition occurs when there is inadequate energy and a lack of imbalance of specific food components and nutrients. It has been recognized that pregnant and lactating women form one of the most nutritionally vulnerable segments of the population; the ill effects of maternal under nutrition affect the mother and her offspring. Many women who became pregnant in developing countries, suffers from ongoing nutritional deficiencies, repeated infections and the long term cumulative consequences of under nutrition during their childhood [5]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion