KNOWLEDGE ON NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE REGIONAL HOSPITAL LIMBE

ABSTRACT

Background: Evidence showed that nutrition education during pregnancy has significant impact on dietary habit of pregnant women on maternal and birth outcome of pregnancy. The world health organization (WHO) recommended that care providers need to give adequate specific and acceptable nutrition related advice to pregnant women during every visit of antenatal care (ANC). The objectives of this study were therefore to assess pregnant women’s knowledge on nutrition during pregnancy among pregnant women in the Regional Hospital in Limbe and to assess their knowledge on the consequences of poor nutrition during pregnancy.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional institution (hospital) based design was used and data was collected using pretested semi-structured Questionnaire addressed to 50 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at the Limbe Regional Hospital. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and presented on tables and figures in frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS: of the 50 participants 20(50%) were aged between (26-36) years old while only 8(16%) had tertiary level of education (a university degree). A few of the respondents 16(32%) reported to have only 1 child and the others said they don’t regularly go for ANC visit. With regards to their knowledge on good nutrition, 76% of the respondents knew that pregnant women need to consume foods rich in vitamin B, 58% knew they had to consume balance diets while 42% and 30% did not know that alcohol and caffeine are not good for pregnant women. Of the 50 participants, 63% knew that poor nutrition could lead to anemia while 78% knew that it could lead to low birth weight.

CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the pregnant women had good knowledge on nutrition during pregnancy and good knowledge on the consequences due to poor nutrition during pregnancy on the fetus/ baby. However, a few of the participants had poor knowledge and as such, recommendations such as reinforcement of government intervention programs on sensitization on nutrition during pregnancy and these programs should go beyond pregnant women and target family members and relatives.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Pregnancy is a crucial period in women’s lives where they tend to experience many changes in their bodies. Pregnant women are exposed to physical, physiological and mental changes all along the pregnancy period. Increased needs for energy, macronutrients and micronutrients are required throughout the pregnancy period to provide the needed nutrients to the growing fetus and to ensure health and wellbeing of the mother (Lee et al, 2018). Nutrition during  preconception  as  well  as  throughout pregnancy  has  a  major  impact  on  the  outcome  of pregnancy.  Women who eat well and  avoid  known risks tend to have fewer complications during pregnancy, labour  and  more  likely  to  deliver  live  normal  healthier babies. On the contrary women who are malnourished before and during pregnancy are more likely to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes. Before pregnancy the woman needs nutrients for growth and maintenance of her body. Good nutrition keeps her healthy. During pregnancy additional requirement for all nutrients occurs to enable the foetus to grow normally in the uterus (Zeng, 2014).

In the antenatal period, the nutritional demand of women upsurges to compensate for physiological and psychological changes and nutritional computations by the growing foetus for energy, macro and micro nutrients. However, many women, whether in preconception or even during pregnancy, do not get enough nutrients in their diets, a problem that is particularly prevalent in the world’s poorest regions, including sub-Saharan Africa (Lee et al, 2018). Women in developing countries are at risk of malnutrition and nutritional deficits during pregnancy resulting in negative pregnancy outcomes such as delay in fetal growth and development, pre-term delivery, low birth weight and maternal anemia (Conde-Agudelo et al., 2012). Women’s malnutrition (of any kind) not only affects their health but also has the potential to harm the health of their infants. Nutritional deficiency was responsible for 1.5 million deaths in women and children worldwide. Despite the fact that maternal under nutrition has decreased over the last 16 years, from 30% in 2000 to 22% in 2016, Cameroon remains one of the countries with the highest burden of maternal malnutrition Nasah and Drouin (2017).

Women may have myths about diet selection during the pregnancy period. According to a finding from Turin, most pregnant mothers have incorrect nutrition knowledge and opinions about nutrition practices (Appiah et al, 2021).  As evidenced by a large body of research, educational status, occupations and parity is a factor that influences nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed antenatal nutrition education for women to reduce the birth of underweight infants and prevent maternal complications. The recommendation was context-specific and focused on populations affected by malnutrition, especially in low- and middle-income countries (WHO, 2016).

Adequate  maternal  nutrition  knowledge  and  dietary practice  before  and  during  pregnancy  is  necessary  to ensure positive pregnancy outcomes. According to Nasah and Drouin (2017), pregnancy and delivery  exposes  the Cameroonian  mother  to  2%  risk  of  death  during  their reproductive life, with 43.3% of maternal death resulting from  haemorrhage,  8.3%  from  pre-eclampsia  and  4.2% from  placenta  abruption,  all  of  which  are  nutrition related.  It was  shown that,  nutrition  knowledge  was predictive  of  change  in  dietary  habits  and  sensitization improved  their  quality  of  food  intake. It is therefore one of the contributing factors to having a better nutritional practice. Nutrition knowledge is essential in creating cognizance of ample nutrition intake among pregnant women. Lack of knowledge of sufficient nutrition is stated as an instant cause of malnutrition (Latifa et al, 2012).Thus, pregnant women are expected to have adequate knowledge to meet their increased dietary demands and attain optimal nutritional status during pregnancy.

 1.2 Statement of the Problem

Nutrition during pregnancy has a major impact on the outcome of pregnancy and accredited as an important determinant for a healthy and successful pregnancy including the life-long health of future generation (Adikari et al., 2016). Though nutrition is the intake of food necessary for optimal health, several studies have revealed that inadequate maternal nutrition could lead to malnutrition which causes  poor  pregnancy  outcomes,  such  as  fetal  growth  failure,  low  birth  weight, preterm  birth,  prenatal  and  infant  mortality  and  morbidity  (Abu-Saad  &  Fraser, 2010). On the contrary, excessive nutrition intake during pregnancy can lead to complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, macrosomia, dystocia, and higher prevalence of cesarean section. Knowledge on nutrition is therefore a vital element to ensure positive pregnancy outcome and is the integral to achieve healthy dietary behaviors and subsequently improves diet quality. This study therefore sought to assess pregnant women’s knowledge on nutrition during pregnancy in an attempt to increase awareness and a change in dietary behaviour in cases of bad practices.

 1.3 Rational of the Study

Despite the fact that maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial in reducing maternal mortality and infant mortality which are the target area in achieving the Millennium Development Goal in Cameroon, very few studies have been carried out to assess women’s knowledge on nutrition during pregnancy. This study therefore assesses women’s knowledge on nutrition during pregnancy with the aim of creating more awareness on this area.

1.4 Research Questions

1. i) What knowledge do pregnant woman attending ANC at the Limbe Regional Hospital have regarding good nutrition during pregnancy?
2. ii) What knowledge do they have on the consequences of poor nutrition during pregnancy?

1.5 Research Objectives

1. To assess knowledge on good nutrition during pregnancy of pregnant women attending ANC at the Limbe Regional hospital.
2. To assess knowledge on consequences of poor nutrition during pregnancy of pregnant women attending ANC at the Limbe Regional hospital.