Abstract:
Background: Adequate nutritional status and good dietary intakes during preconception and
pregnancy have been recognized as a major contributor to healthy birth outcome. A pregnant
mother needs optimal nutrition to ensure sufficient energy intake to maintain her pregnancy and
meet the requirement of growing fetus. Assessment of maternal nutrient intake and additional meal
pattern during pregnancy suggested that more calories consumed and reduced the risk of preterm
delivery. There was no any study that documented the magnitude of additional meal intake among
pregnant women in the study area.
Objective- To assess the magnitude and associated factors of additional meal among pregnant
women who has ANC follow up at Bahir Dar health centers vision maternity care department.
Methodology:- : Institution based quantitative cross sectional study was conducted from March to
April 2020 among pregnant women who attend ANC follow up at Bahir Dar health centre vision
Maternity care department. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 394 pregnant
women, data were collected through face to face interviews using structured questioner. Bivariate
and multivariable logistics regression analyses were applied to know the association between
dependent and independent variables. Finally the results were presented by Charts and tables and
report AOR, CI. P-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results – Two third (63.2%) of the pregnant women consumed additional meal during pregnancy.
On multivariable logistic regression model after adjust ting for other variables. Educational status
of college and above (AOR: 5, CI: 2.2-11.7), household monthly income above 3000ETB (AOR:
3.7: CI: 0.96 – 14.0), nutritional counseling (AOR= 4.7, CI: 2.8 – 8.1) and ANC follow up more
than two times (AOR= 3.9, CI: 1.9 – 8.0) were significant independent predictors of additional
meal intake during pregnancy.
Recommendation - This study showed that the overall consumption of additional meal intake
during pregnancy was suboptimal .Promoting educational status of the mother, increasing
household income, promoting and encourage ANC follow up, nutritional information and
counselling are recommended to improve additional meal consumption during pregnancy.
Key words: -Additional meal, attending Antenatal Care, Prenatal period, Bahir`Dar.