Nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, and associated factors influencing the nutritional status of pregnant women in the Krowor Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Abstract

Pregnancy marks a critical phase in a woman's life, necessitating careful attention to nutritional needs to support both maternal well-being and foetal development. This study examined the nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, and associated factors influencing the nutritional status of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in the public health facilities in the Krowor Municipality. A cross-sectional design was adopted, employing a questionnaire for data collection. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit 266 participants for the study. The study found that most participants had moderate level of nutritional knowledge (45%). A greater proportion of respondents had less than four meals a day (59.8%) and did not skip meals (67.7%). Almost all respondents were nourished (98.5%) and most were non-anaemic (68.4%). Marital status (p=0.030) and income level (p=0.009) significantly predicted nutritional status. In conclusion, the study signifies that pregnant woman in the Krowor Municipality maintain an acceptable level of nutritional status. It is recommended that public health authorities implement comprehensive and evidenced based nutritional education initiatives tailored to the specific nutritional needs of pregnant women in the Krowor Municipality.