PREGNANT WOMEN'S NUTRITIONAL AWARENESS, LIFESTYLES AND SATISFACTION ON NUTRITION EDUCATION AT REPRODUCTIVE AND CHILD HEALTH CLINICS IN TEMEKE DISTRICT, TANZANIA


Abela Zakayo Twin'omujuni, Josephine Manase , Nyamizi Julius
Research Officer,Nutrition , Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre
Abstract
Proper use of nutrition information among pregnant women is essential in escaping them from malnutrition which can contribute to maternal and infant morbidity, mortality and adverse birth outcomes. Awareness of nutrition, proper lifestyle behaviors’ and satisfaction among pregnant women are important in making sure that women participate effectively in complying with nutrition necessities in pregnancy. This study assessed pregnant women’s nutritional awareness, lifestyle behaviours and satisfaction on nutrition education provided to them at Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics in Temeke District Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from pregnant women at single point in time. The stud used convenient sampling to select 100 pregnant women who attended RCH clinics from twelve randomly selected health facilities. The study used survey and focus Group discussions (FGDs) as methods of data collection. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16 to reveal descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and standard deviations which presented in tables and figures. Data collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) was analysed by using content analysis to reveal themes and concepts. The study realized that 52% of pregnant women didn’t know that pregnant women have different nutritional needs according to gestation age, physical activities levels and pre-conceptual health status; and 63% of pregnant women were not aware that maternal nutrition has influence on birth outcomes. Lifestyle behaviours of pregnant women in the study area include: not smoking cigarettes (100%), not drinking alcohols (98%) and not drinking tea, coffee and coke drinks with food (33%). More results show that 54% of pregnant women were not satisfied with quality of nutrition education provided at RCH clinics due to poor reliability, poor/lack of tangibles (visual aids and supplements), poor assurance and poor responsiveness of RCH Providers. Most pregnant women were not aware of the nutritional needs during pregnancy and the association between maternal dietary intake and birth outcomes which was probably contributed by inadequate nutrition education received during ANC contacts. The study recommends that the health facilities should improve the quality of nutrition education provided to pregnant women when they attend to RCH clinics especially on quality nutrition education services with regard to reliability, tangibles, assurance and responsiveness so as to improve maternal nutritional status which in turn will reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and improve birth outcomes in Temeke District in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania.
Keywords: pregnant women, awareness, nutrition education, lifestyle, satisfaction
Journal Name :
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR)

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Published on : 2021-04-07

Vol : 7
Issue : 4
Month : April
Year : 2021
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