<p>Factors Associated with Dietary Practice and Nutritional Status of Pregnant Women in Rural Communities of Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia</p>
Dereje Tsegaye, Dessalegn Tamiru, Tefera Belachew
Abstract
Background: Maternal under-nutrition due to macro and micronutrient deficiencies is a challenging public health problem worldwide, disproportionately affecting women in low-income nations. Hence, this study aimed at assessing factors associated with dietary practice and nutritional status of pregnant women in Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 randomly selected pregnant women, from May to June, 2019. Socio-demographic and socio-economic data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Dietary Diversity was obtained using a qualitative 24-hr dietary recall method and nutritional status was assessed using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements. Data were entered onto Epidata version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of nutritional status and dietary practice. Odds ratio with 95% Confidence interval was estimated to identify the predictors of the outcome variables. Statistical significance was affirmed at a p-value ≤ 0.05. Results: The prevalence of under-nutrition among the pregnant women was 17.4% and the mean (±SD) dietary diversity score was 4.88 ± 1.27. Family-size (AOR=3, 95% CI: (1.18, 7.21)), wealth status (AOR=3.65 (1.02, 12.99)), household food security (AOR=2.59 (1.21, 5.63)) and birth interval (AOR=2.3 (1.10, 4.87)) were significantly associated with nutritional status of pregnant women. Educational status (AOR = 3.49, 95% (1.53, 7.99)), household food security (AOR = 1.61, 95% (1.02, 2.56)), nutrition knowledge (AOR = 1.74, 95% (1.08, 2.79)), and meal frequency (AOR = 2.88, 95% (1.65, 5.03)) were significantly associated with dietary practice of the respondents. Conclusion: Finding of the study revealed that the prevalence of under-nutrition and poor dietary practice was high which were significantly associated with educational and economic status. Hence, it is imperative to improve the nutritional status of pregnant women, strengthening sustainable income-generating activities and saving strategies. Keywords: dietary diversity, nutritional status, pregnant women, Ethiopia