Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study

Background: Food aversion is one of the reasons for maternal undernutrition. Early screening for maternal undernutrition risk factors would improve the ability to recognize this problem and intervene early. Hence, this study was intended to identify the association of food aversion with maternal nut...

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Main Authors: Turufat Paskal Gebre, Temesgen Tafesse, Teshome Abuka Abebo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-11-01
Series:SAGE Open Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241284950
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author Turufat Paskal Gebre
Temesgen Tafesse
Teshome Abuka Abebo
author_facet Turufat Paskal Gebre
Temesgen Tafesse
Teshome Abuka Abebo
author_sort Turufat Paskal Gebre
collection DOAJ
description Background: Food aversion is one of the reasons for maternal undernutrition. Early screening for maternal undernutrition risk factors would improve the ability to recognize this problem and intervene early. Hence, this study was intended to identify the association of food aversion with maternal nutritional status. Objectives: To assess food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama region, Ethiopia, March, 2022. Methods: In Teticha Woreda, a mixed community-based comparative cross-sectional study was carried out from 1 March to 15 April 2022. Data were collected using an unstructured interview guide for qualitative data and a structured questionnaire for quantitative data. Epi-Data version 3.1 was used to enter quantitative data. Quantitative data were exported and cleaned and analyzed in SPSS version 20. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics were calculated. To identify predictors of low nutritional status and control for confounders, multivariable logistic regression was utilized. Using Pearson’s Chi-square test, the association between food aversion and the anthropometric status of pregnant women was examined. Results: Maternal undernutrition was found in 109 (48.9%; 95% CI: 42.4%–55.4%) of pregnant women with food aversion and 69 (30.9%; 95% CI: 25.1%–37.2%) women without food aversion (mid-upper arm circumference 23 cm). A significant proportion of mothers 95 (42.6%) stated that food aversion stemmed from the taste or smell of the food. Some mothers avoided “Enset,” while others avoided foods like cereal, milk, and coffee. In the Chi-square test, pregnant women who had food aversion had a higher likelihood of maternal undernutrition as compared to women who did not have food aversion ( p -value of 0.000). Conclusion: This study found higher magnitude of undernutrition among pregnant women who had food aversion as compared to their counterparts. Nutritional interventions, especially nutritional counseling focusing on food aversion, are essential to tackle maternal undernutrition.
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spelling doaj-art-8e6de2c6a2a4475daad66751b0601fb32024-11-09T09:03:55ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212024-11-011210.1177/20503121241284950Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional studyTurufat Paskal GebreTemesgen TafesseTeshome Abuka AbeboBackground: Food aversion is one of the reasons for maternal undernutrition. Early screening for maternal undernutrition risk factors would improve the ability to recognize this problem and intervene early. Hence, this study was intended to identify the association of food aversion with maternal nutritional status. Objectives: To assess food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama region, Ethiopia, March, 2022. Methods: In Teticha Woreda, a mixed community-based comparative cross-sectional study was carried out from 1 March to 15 April 2022. Data were collected using an unstructured interview guide for qualitative data and a structured questionnaire for quantitative data. Epi-Data version 3.1 was used to enter quantitative data. Quantitative data were exported and cleaned and analyzed in SPSS version 20. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics were calculated. To identify predictors of low nutritional status and control for confounders, multivariable logistic regression was utilized. Using Pearson’s Chi-square test, the association between food aversion and the anthropometric status of pregnant women was examined. Results: Maternal undernutrition was found in 109 (48.9%; 95% CI: 42.4%–55.4%) of pregnant women with food aversion and 69 (30.9%; 95% CI: 25.1%–37.2%) women without food aversion (mid-upper arm circumference 23 cm). A significant proportion of mothers 95 (42.6%) stated that food aversion stemmed from the taste or smell of the food. Some mothers avoided “Enset,” while others avoided foods like cereal, milk, and coffee. In the Chi-square test, pregnant women who had food aversion had a higher likelihood of maternal undernutrition as compared to women who did not have food aversion ( p -value of 0.000). Conclusion: This study found higher magnitude of undernutrition among pregnant women who had food aversion as compared to their counterparts. Nutritional interventions, especially nutritional counseling focusing on food aversion, are essential to tackle maternal undernutrition.https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241284950
spellingShingle Turufat Paskal Gebre
Temesgen Tafesse
Teshome Abuka Abebo
Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
SAGE Open Medicine
title Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
title_full Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
title_short Food aversion and its association with pregnant women’s nutritional status in Teticha Woreda, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed comparative cross-sectional study
title_sort food aversion and its association with pregnant women s nutritional status in teticha woreda sidama region ethiopia a community based mixed comparative cross sectional study
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241284950
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