Beliefs, Misconceptions and Patterns towards Maternal Nutrition Among Pregnant Women Attending Primary Health Centers in Osogbo, Nigeria.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/wnjms.v7i1.2Keywords:
Belief, Maternal Nutrition, Misconception, Pregnant womenAbstract
Introduction: This study assessed the beliefs and misconceptions towards maternal nutrition among pregnant women attending Osogbo primary health centres with a view to improving nutrition by strengthening the nutrition counseling component of antenatal care (ANC) and increasing literacy status to reduce taboos/misconceptions.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected using semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 and presented in table and charts. The hypotheses were tested using chi square at 5% significance level
Results: The findings showed that the overall feeding pattern of pregnant women was average (56%). A major misconception was that eating less food will make delivery easier. Among different factors affecting good dietary practices among pregnant women, majority 150 (79.4%) said okra and snail are taboos in their culture.
Conclusion: Poor dietary practice can affect the quality of life of both the foetus and the mother during and after pregnancy. Wrong belief/misconception can results in a condition affecting the health of the mother and the foetus.
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