Under-Nutrition and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women in Public Health Care Hospitals of Gedeo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Balanced and Adequate nutritious food during pregnancy helps to improve maternal weight and for the healthy growth of the fetus. There has been little progress in reducing pregnant under nutrition in Ethiopia; it has been too slow. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of under-nutrition and determinants amongst pregnant mothers in public health care hospitals of Gedeo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia, from Feb, 1 to March, 1- 2019. Method: A cross-sectional study design was used in public hospitals of Gedeo Zone. Pretested structure questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the study participant, while a height measuring board and a digital bath balance were used to collect anthropometric measurements such as MUAC, height, and weight. Epi-data was used to code and enter the data into a computer, and SPSS-25 was used to analyse and interpret the data. To evaluate the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was done. Results: In this study, the proportion of pregnant women who were undernourished was 21% (95%CI: 20.8–21.2).After controlling other co-variables, average monthly income, women's educational status, nutrition education and counselling, and parity were found to have a significant relationship with pregnant mothers' nutritional status in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The magnitude of under nutrition in pregnant women in this study was found to be very high; average household monthly income, family size, mother’s educational status, nutrition education and counselling, current health condition of the mother and parity were factors significantly associated with malnourished pregnant mothers. Funding Information: The study was funded by Dilla University, Ethiopia. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Dilla University College of Medicine and Health Science. The study purpose, procedures, possible risks, and benefits were explained to participants in local languages. Informed written consent was obtained and signed.