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ABSTRACT
Background: Good maternal nutrition is crucial for women’s health and reproductive performance, as well as for the health, survival and development of their children. The nutritional state of the expectant woman is one of the most significant factors impacting pregnancy outcomes. Objective: To assess factors affecting the nutrition of pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in order to provide relevant information to the national health agency on the nutritional status of pregnant women in Edo state. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was utilized for this study among pregnant women, between the ages of 15 to 49 years, who were attending the antenatal clinic at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Three hundred and twelve respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire as well as measurement of the weight and height and calculation of the BMI of respondents. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 25.0 and quantitative variables were expressed as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. A p-value of < 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant. Result: A total of 312 pregnant women were assessed with a mean age of 31±5.5years. Two hundred and thirty nine (76.6%) of the respondents had a high MDD with a mean of 6.1±2.0. The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity was 1.0%, 32.1%, 38.8% and 28.2% respectively. Age, family structure, marital status, gravidity and parity were significantly associated with maternal nutritional status. Sociocultural factors influencing nutrition of respondents were personal preferences, fear of weight gain and medical conditions.
