Food taboos and common beliefs associated with pregnant women in Kasoa Zongo community in the central region of Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence and adherence to food taboos associated with pregnancy in the Kasoa-Zongo community. The study employed descriptive cross-sectional survey, specifically, mixed-methods and combination of purposive, snowballing, and convenience sampling methods were used to select 106 respondents for the study. A structured questionnaire, with both closed- and open-ended items were used for data collection and analysed using SPSS version 20 by descriptive and inferential analyses. The results were presented by tables and frequencies. Key findings were that snails, ripe plantains, mushrooms, pork, eggs, mudfish, groundnuts, python, and tortoise formed some of the pregnancyrelated tabooed foods avoided by the pregnant women in the study area. Religious belief, foods being spiritually unwholesome, ancestral taboo prevention of miscarriage, deformity, prolonged labour, allergies and depression were some of the major reasons for adhering to food taboos during pregnancy. Over half of the pregnant women had good or fair knowledge of nutrition issues and adherence to food taboos was relatively more prevalent and higher among pregnant women with low levels of education compared to their counterparts with higher educational levels. It is recommended that education on nutrition during pregnancy should be intensified in all communities.