ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF PREGNANT MOTHERS ON MATERNAL NUTRITION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN LOMA BOSSA DISTRICT

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal undernutrition is a serious developmental challenge contributing a large share to the global disease burden. Good knowledge and appropriate dietary practices in pregnancy are a critical requisite for maternal nutrition; however, nutritional information about knowledge and dietary practices among pregnant women was low. Objective: Assessment of knowledge and practices of pregnant mothers on maternal nutrition and associated factors in Loma Bossa District, Dawuro Zone Southwest, Ethiopia 2022. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted amongrandomly selected 384 pregnant mothers in Loma Bossa District. Data were collected by using structured questionnaire through face-to face interview by trained data collectors. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors that were associated with the dependent variable. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05. Result: The result of the study has shown that 57.3% of the study participants had good knowledge and 17.7% of the study participant had appropriate dietary practices. Nutritional information (AOR=5.8; 95% CI 3.12-10.6), mothers’ educational status (AOR=2.49; 95% CI 1.005-6.18), and mothers’ occupation (AOR=2.61; 95%CI 1.118-6.1) have statistically significant association to nutritional knowledge among mothers during pregnancy. Place of residence (AOR=2.06; 95%CI 1.06-4.01), previous delivery (AOR=4.3; 95%CI 1.68-10.8), attituds about preganant mothers (AOR=4.2; 95%CI 1.8-9.5), mothers’ educational status (AOR= 2.8; 95% CI 1.04- 7.5) and, family size (AOR=6.6; 95%CI 2.5-17.2) have statistically significant association withdietary practiceamong mothers during pregnancy. Conclusion and recommendation: A dietary practice of pregnant women in the study area was poor. Nutritional information, attitude, family size, mothers’ educational status, mothers’ occupation, place of residence and prevous delivery were independent predictors of pregnant women dietary knowledge and practices. Therefore, Health professional, woreda health office, zonal health department, would be better to increasing awareness to have good knowledge and dietary practices.