NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN ONA-ARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE: IMPLICATIONS FOR MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
Keywords:
Nutritional practices, pregnant women, sociodemographic factors, maternal nutrition, Ona-Ara Local Government Area, Nigeria, education, family structure, knowledge, attitudeAbstract
Introduction: Maternal nutrition is vital for pregnancy outcomes, impacting both maternal and fetal health. In many developing countries, including Nigeria, inadequate nutrition contributes to complications such as low birth weight and preterm births. Despite available guidelines, many pregnant women struggle with proper dietary practices due to sociodemographic factors like education, employment, and family structure. Research on how these factors influence nutritional practices in rural and peri-urban Nigerian regions, such as Ona-Ara Local Government Area, remains limited.
Objective; This study aims to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with nutritional practices among pregnant women in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, focusing on education, marital status, occupation, maternal age, family structure, knowledge, and attitude.
Method of Analysis: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 pregnant women selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic information, nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Nutritional practices were assessed based on adherence to local and international pregnancy nutrition guidelines. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (COR and AOR) were used to analyze the data, with multivariate logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.
Results: The study found significant associations between sociodemographic factors and nutritional practices. Women with primary or no formal education (46.7%) had a higher likelihood of poor nutritional practices compared to those with tertiary education (26.7%) (COR = 4.2, AOR = 1.1). Single women (40%) were more likely to engage in proper nutrition compared to married women (23.3%) (COR = 6.4, AOR = 2.0). Employed women (33.3%) exhibited better nutritional practices compared to unemployed women (23.3%) (COR = 5.8, AOR = 3.4). Younger women (aged 15-24) (40%) were more likely to follow good nutritional practices compared to older women (13.3%) (COR = 6.1, AOR = 2.4). Women from nuclear families (40%) had better nutritional practices than those from polygamous families (26.7%) (COR = 8.1, AOR = 4.1). Knowledge and positive attitude towards nutrition were strong predictors of better practices, with knowledgeable women (60%) and those with positive attitudes (53.3%) significantly more likely to engage in optimal nutrition (COR = 6.5, AOR = 3.4; COR = 4.8, AOR = 2.4).
Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors such as education, employment, maternal age, marital status, family structure, knowledge, and attitude significantly influence nutritional practices among pregnant women. Interventions to improve maternal nutrition should address these factors, particularly in lower socio-economic and educational groups. Health policies must consider these determinants to enhance maternal and fetal health outcomes.
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