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Dietary habits of women in antenatal period: a base line study in a rural community

Author

Iffat Nowshin1, Kazi Jahangir Hossain2, Syeda Ara Sultana Azam3, Farhana Salim4, Kawser Jahan5


Abstract

Mothers in developing countries, especially pregnant and lactating ones, are considered to be nutritionally vulnerable as they are often subjected to different degrees of nutritional stress. In Bangladesh, the maternal diet is limited and malnutrition rates are high, most often due to underlying economic, cultural, political and environmental factors that determine complex human behaviours, including food consumption practices. This descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted at Savar upazilla of Dhaka district to assess the dietary habits of women in antenatal period in rural area of Bangladesh. A sample of 180 respondents was selected purposively and a semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data by face to face interviews. The studies revealed that, majority of the respondents 75 (41.6%) were within the age group of 15-24 years. The mean age of the respondents was 29 years. Their monthly family income was more than 10000 taka. Regarding duration of pregnancy, majority of the respondents 164 (91.11%) were full term pregnant and among them, 120 (66.66%) took their meal with family members. Majority of the respondents 95 (52.77%) used to eat 3 times daily during their antenatal period. Most of them 147 (81.66%) took rice followed by vegetables 114 (63.33%) daily. Most of them 105 (58.33%) discarded rice ban during cooking. Majority of the respondents 116 (64.44%) used to wash vegetables after cutting, More than half of them 110 (61.11%) took advice from health centre during antenatal period. Most of them were advised to take nutritious food and eat frequently. So counselling programs may be taken to counsel the women about dietary habits during antenatal period and government should be more concerned about this.

Keywords: dietary habits, antenatal period, pregnant women, rural area.

Issue: Vol. 6 No. 2 (2020)

Publish Date: Jun 07, 2022

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