The Impact of Socio-Cultural Practices on Nutritional Health of Pregnant Women: A Study of Ejisu Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

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ABSTRACT

Socio-cultural beliefs and practices affect pregnancy outcomes in most societies in African communities. The association of severe malnutrition to pregnant women is inadequate intake of nutrients due to taboos/superstition, lack of knowledge and practice of pregnant women on appropriate feeding practices. The study aimed at assessing the socio-cultural practices on nutritional health of pregnant women in Ejisu Municipality. The specific objectives were to identify the extent to which socio cultural practices influence nutritional health of pregnant women, to explore the impact of socio-cultural practices on the nutritional health of pregnant women and to

determine measures that can be used to improve the nutritional health of pregnant women. A descriptive cross-sectional study was used for this study. The targeted population was medical officers, midwives, and maternal women. Simple random sampling was used to select 120 respondents, made up of 20 clinical officers, 10 mid wives and 90 maternal mothers from selected wards. The findings revealed that

incorrect information from ethical background on nutritional food (77.9%), religious beliefs and spiritual practices (69.9%), occupation of pregnant women (68.2%) and lack of education of pregnant women (59.3%) were the socio cultural practices that influenced nutritional food of pregnant women. In addition, 83.2% of the respondents agreed that socio-cultural practices on the nutritional health affects work efficiency rate of pregnant women, and 71.7% agreed that socio-cultural practices on the nutritional health leads to miscarriage. Based on this, conclusions were drawn and it was recommended that there is a need to identify local socio-cultural beliefs and practices and to plan customized nutritional intervention programme aiming to improve the maternal nutritional knowledge and practices and eventually improve the health status of the pregnant women.

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The Impact of Socio-Cultural Practices on Nutritional Health of Pregnant Women: A Study of Ejisu Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

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