Khat chewing and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study

Factors associated with undernutrition among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Undernutrition denotes inadequate intake of energy and nutrients to meet one's optimal needs. Pregnant women are at an increased risk of undernutrition due to the added nutritional demand for fetal growth and development. Updated evidence is important for monitoring progress and informing healthcare decisions. However, there is a paucity of evidence about the nutritional status of pregnant women in the rural communities of eastern Ethiopia, particularly in Chiro district. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of undernutrition and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was employed in Chiro district, from November 1 to 30, 2022, among 423 randomly selected pregnant women. The data were collected using face-to-face interviews and anthropometric measurements by trained research assistants. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to identify predictors of undernutrition by using STATA-14 statistical software.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of undernutrition was 40.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 36.2%, 45.8%). Antenatal care (ANC) follow-up (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.61, 95% CI: 3.01, 10.45), history of illness in the past 2 weeks (AOR: 4.25, 95% CI: 2.23, 8.12), khat chewing (AOR: 4.01, 95% CI: 2.12, 7.56), household food security (AOR: 5.84, 95% CI: 3.36, 10.14), and dietary diversity practice (AOR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.47, 5.09) were factors associated with undernutrition.

CONCLUSION

Four out of every 10 pregnant women in the study area were undernourished. ANC follow-up, illness in the past 2 weeks, khat chewing, household food security, and dietary diversity practice were significantly associated with undernutrition. Therefore, improving access to ANC services, strengthening nutritional counseling, and addressing food insecurity might reduce undernutrition among pregnant women.

Dietary diversity practice and its associated factors among pregnant women in Eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

Micronutrient insufficiencies during pregnancy have a marked impact on the health of the woman and her offspring. Evidence about the dietary practice of pregnant women is limited in Ethiopia, particularly in drought-prone areas where food insecurity is widely seen. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the dietary diversity practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. We employed a community-based cross-sectional survey in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. The data were collected from 417 randomly selected pregnant women using an interview-administered structured questionnaire. EpiData-3.1 and STATA-14 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The binary logistic regression analysis was deployed to assess the association between dietary diversity practice and predictor variables. Out of 420 calculated sample size, 417 pregnant women completed the survey giving a response rate of 99.3%. The overall prevalence of optimal dietary diversity was 38.4% (95% CI: 33.7%, 43.2%). Educational status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.08, 6.81), meal frequency (AOR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.28), home gardening (AOR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.48, 7.16), and household food security (AOR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.40) were independent predictors of dietary diversity practice.This study found that a substantial proportion of pregnant women had suboptimal dietary diversity, indicating a fundamental micronutrient inadequacy. Educational status, meal frequency, home gardening practice, and household food security were independent determinants of dietary diversity practice. The findings suggest that promoting maternal education and home gardening practice, and controlling food insecurity might enhance optimal dietary diversity.