INVESTIGATING THE FOOD HABITS OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE NEW JUABEN MUNICIPALITY, KOFORIDUA – EASTERN REGION, GHANA

ABSTRACT

Maternal mortality reduction has been a global health priority to prevent women and babies who die due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth especially, in developing country. There have been several interventions to curb maternal and neonatal deaths in Ghana. To achieve good maternal health the food habits of pregnant women in the New Juaben municipality, Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana was investigated. Descriptive survey was used to find out the nutritional knowledge of the pregnant women, identify their food intake, health challenges during pregnancy and also how to improve the food habits of pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic at the Eastern Regional Government Hospital, in the New Juaben Municipality in Koforidua. Purposive and convenience, both non-probability sampling techniques were used on 100 respondents aged 15-41 years and above using questionnaire and interview guide. Analysis was done using S.P.S.S version 23 and the result was analysed using descriptive statistics. It was deduced from the findings that ignorance, socio-cultural and economic factors inhibit respondents intake of nutrients because sometimes the food is available, but culturally unacceptable norms forbid them to eat while others cannot afford to buy and eat nutritious food. Inferential statistic was also performed using the one sample t-test, it was concluded that there was statistically significant difference in the nutritional knowledge of protein, t (99) = -3.282, p-value = 0.001) and iodine (t(99) = -2.650, p-value = 0.009). However, there was no statistical significance in the nutritional knowledge of vitamin B (p-value = 0.079), vitamin C (p-value = 0.314), vitamin D (p-value = 0.282), folic acid (p-value = 0.451), calcium (p-value = 0.499) and omega 3 fatty-acids (p-value= 0.770) among pregnant women. This means that the pregnant women who attended ante-natal clinic at Koforidua regional hospital had nutritional knowledge of protein and iodine, but lacked nutritional knowledge of some vitamin including folic acid, calcium and omega 3 fatty-acids, which serves as some essential nutrients needed in pregnancy. Pregnant women should report health challenges such as nausea, oedema and other health challenges to their health care providers to be addressed promptly to prevent complications. To improve on the food habits of respondents’ variety of foods should be eaten. It is recommended that provision of comprehensive nutritional education should be given to all women in the reproductive years. Cultural barriers associated with food should be discouraged and consumption of locally produced nutritious food should be encouraged before and during pregnancy to prevent maternal malnutrition and its related effects. Pregnant women should eat balanced diet to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 of good maternal health by the year 2030.