Affiliation(s)
1. Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242/5654, Gulelle Arbegnoch Street (Former Pasteur Institute), Gulele Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. School of Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Awassa College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia
3. Department of Population and Family Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Jima University, P.O. Box 378, Jima, Ethiopia
ABSTRACT
Inadequate quality and quantity diet is one of the major reasons for
high levels of malnutrition in pregnant women. A
cross-sectional survey was conducted in Wondo Genet District, Southern
Ethiopia. A two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select a
representative sample of 153 pregnant women aged 19-49 years from three rural
villages (“Kebeles”). Energy and nutrient intakes from foods were calculated
from one-day weighed food
records on a sub-sample (n = 77). The result of the study showed that the intakes of most nutrients were lower than the recommended intake. The
energy intake of the study participants both in 2nd and 3rd trimesters of
pregnancy were 2,308 kcal and 1,420.5 kcal compared
to the recommended 2,340 kcal and 2,452 kcal,
respectively. Except iron, almost all micronutrient intakes were lower than the
recommended intake. Vitamin A intake was 3 µg compared with the recommended 800 µg, while protein intake of the study respondents in 2nd and 3rd trimester
of pregnancy was 45.9 g and 31.5 g, respectively, compared with the
recommended 71 g. Risk factors for undernutrition were multiple
pregnancyand no consumption of
cereal-based foods. This study revealed that the energy and nutrient intake of
the pregnant women in study area was below the recommended intakes.
Furthermore, the situation might be aggravated by high phytate content food
consumption reported. Nutritional status of pregnant women in study area was
not adequate to support the increased energy and nutrient requirement of the
participants.
KEYWORDS
Pregnant women, nutritional status, vitamins, energy, protein, Southern Ethiopia.
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