FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DIVRSITY DIVERSITY AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN CHEHA WOREDA, GURAGE ZONE CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy and lactation require more nutrients than any other period of a woman's adult life. For the fetus to grow and for the mother's tissues to develop that support fetal development, extra nutrients are needed during gestation. The nutritional condition of a mother during pregnancy is influenced by a variety of circumstances. Both the mother and the child may have some health issues as a result of the mother's unhealthy diet or inability to meet nutritional needs. Due to economic and cultural difference between this study area and others as well as an increasing of food price which has an effect on dietary diversity practice, this research being done in this field in the study area. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sub-optimal dietary diversity and associated factors among pregnant women in Cheha woreda, Central Ethiopia, 2022.Method: A cross-sectional institutional study involving 406 pregnant women receiving prenatal care in health facilities was done. Random sampling procedure was used. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather the data, and version 23 of the statistical program for social science was used to analyze it. To find factors linked to pregnant women's dietary diversity, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. Thematic analysis was used to examine qualitative data. Result: Among 406 pregnant women, 184(45.3%) had inadequate dietary diversity. Rural dwellers [AOR=3.7, (95% CI: 2.22, 6.28)], lack of nutritional counseling [AOR=1.6 (95% CI: 1.03, 2.79)] and having less than three meals per day [AOR=3.8, (95% CI: 2.15, 6.77)]are predictors of inadequate dietary diversity. Conclusion: Overall, it was discovered that there was inadequate dietary diversity being consumed by pregnant women in the study area. Maternal nutrition counseling is crucial, and health providers should view it as one of the core ANC treatment packages. Improved dietary diversity for pregnant women can result from encouraging agriculture and home gardening among vulnerable households