To Explore the Perceived Food Taboos during Pregnancy and their Relation to Maternal Nutrition and Health

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore perceived food taboos during pregnancy and their relation to maternal nutritional status and health outcomes. The study was guided by the following objectives: To investigate food taboos identified for pregnant women in Namwala District, to identify dietary taboos that were embraced by the Women and to highlight nutritional challenges related to dietary taboos during pregnancy. Descriptive research design was used as the framework for carrying out the study with an estimated population comprising pregnant women who attended and received antenatal services at various clinics. From this estimated population, a sample comprising 74 pregnant women was selected using Purposive sampling method. SPSS V25 was used to analyze the raw data descriptively. The results clearly showed widespread practice of food taboos during pregnancy and the main reason for adherence was culture. The following interventions were recommended: Developing a team of community care givers, with the inclusion of traditional leadership to help break the barrier of food taboos in maternal nutrition. The Ministry of Education can spearhead a curriculum with maternal nutritional education in the school curriculum as early as primary school level in order to discourage people from observing detrimental food taboos. Ante-natal Clinics should include awareness strategies and a Health Feeding Programme in order to provide nutritious meals to pregnant women whist attending antenatal, like School Health Nutrition (SHN) in schools. This strategy would increase ante-natal attendance with definite positive health outcomes among them, reduction in the number of Pre-term births in Zambia. Keywords: Antenatal, Community, Culture, Feeding, Health, Maternal, Nutrition, Taboos.