Abstract:
Introduction: Pregnancy is a critical period which demands adequate dietary diversity. Malnutrition during pregnancy can permanently affect physiological development of the fetus. These problems remained the foremost public health concern in Ethiopia and associated with the high neonatal and infant mortalities
Objective of study: to assess nutritional status dietary diversity and associated factors among pregnant women in Kirkos sub-city, Addis Ababa.
Method: A heath facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April1 to May 30; 2023.The study was conducted in Kirkos sub-city, Addis Ababa from 422 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC). At health centres Dietary diversity was assessed using a 24 hours dietary recall method. Mid-upper arm circumference and haemoglobin concentration were respectively obtained to assess underweight and anaemia status of women. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the study subjects. Multivariable logistic regression was run to control for all possible confounding effects and measure the strength of association between the outcome of interest and predictor.
Results: Eighty percent of pregnant women were found to consume below the minimum acceptable dietary diversity score. About two-third of the study paricipants presented with both anemia and underweight. Pregnant women from food secured households (AOR) =1.74; 95% CI 1.01 to 3.02), pregnancy spacing for two or more years (AOR=2.30; 95% CI 1.11 to 4.75), and consumption of three or more frequent meals (AOR=2.19; 95% CI 1.29 to 3.71) were significantly associated with adequate dietary diversity. In addition, women having had multiple pregnancies (AOR=2.87; 95% CI 1.57 to 5.27) were observed more likely to be underweight.
Conclusions: We observed that the significant proportion of women fails to achieve the recommended dietary diversity score of women. Therefore, widening spacing between consecutive pregnancies, ensuring household food security and promoting more frequent meal consumption
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during pregnancy are found to enhance women diet diversity. Additionally, an ANC message about the importance of additional meal counselling during pregnancy is indispensable. Targeted intervention of addressing pregnant women that are food insecure would partly solve the dietary inadequacies and anaemia.
Keywords: pregnant women, diet diversity, underweight, anaemia, Ethiopi