Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Habits of Pregnant Women Attending Health Center
Dietary Results Reports
Nutritional consumption of pregnant women is very essential. This is because of the concern to the growth of the fetus and that of the mother in connection to the dietary consumption during pregnancy. Out of a study of the habits of pregnant women, the first thing that comes out is that pregnant women in Qatar range between 18-38 years. These women are in preparatory school, secondary school and university up to masters’ level. A good number are unemployed with others working. Their eating habits were as follows: pregnant women are prone to gaining weight during the first trimester of pregnancy as compared to the second and third trimesters. There is however, a high prevalence of low gain frequency during the third trimester with a frequency of 74 as compared to 27 for those in the 1st trimester.
Daily dietary intakes
The women confessed to a higher frequency of daily intake of lunch than that of breakfast and dinner. The percentage of those who skipped dinner was high in overall with a 36.6% uncertainty of those who completely ignored dinner and those who had dinner on some occasions. In consideration to the food groups consumed by the women, they took an average of 3-6 meals daily. The greatest percentage had at least three meals with the others having four, five and six meals during their pregnancy.
A study of foods preferred by the women aside from the three main meals revealed preferences for fruits at, sweets and tea. There were other preferences not recorded with a number of women having a combination of food choices. The results also have it that pregnant women have a higher percentage low habit of eating the recommended 7-11 servings of carbohydrates compared to those who adhere to the requirement. This is evident in the food choices like the reported low preference of brown bread as compared to consumption of white bread.
Food habits
Vegetable consumption was very low. The percentage that took less than 4-5 vegetable servings daily was at a frequency of 161 with only a frequency of 77 reportedly consuming that amount of serving. Fruit consumption was average with a relatively good number saying they eat 3-4 servings daily though there was still a relatively high number consuming less than 3-4 servings of fruit daily. The study also had a supplements intake of pregnant women recorded and there were 90.4% of women recording intake of iron and vitamin supplements.
Clinical disorders and weight concerns
The nutritional study of pregnant women attending healthcare unit also reported the health disorder prevalence the women complained about during their clinical visits. Nausea held the highest percentage at 53.8% closely followed by heartburn at 53.5% of reported cases. Others were constipation, ascites anemia, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure in order of prevalence. Most of the women were not bothered with their weight with around 30% trying to loose weight and 20% trying on some occasions.
Physical activity amongst pregnant women in Qatar is not indulged in with only 13.8% confessing to taking up exercising. There was positivity regarding nutritional rehabilitation and counseling for pregnant women. There was also concern regarding the need for guidance from dietitians and reports of new experiences from every pregnancy a woman carries in her life. Most of the women make personal nutritional choices with 20% of the women learning about nutrition from their mothers and 15.8% seeking information from the internet. Friend, journals, magazines and television also play some role in provision of nutritional information for pregnant women.
A high percentage of women believed that reduction in meals helped in loss of weight during pregnancy than those who though otherwise. 56.5% of he women also felt that eating herbs during pregnancy helped with shedding off weight after pregnancy. It is also highly believed by the women that eating during pregnancy is for two people, and that additional weight has a psychological effect on the pregnant women. The women also had a reasonable percentage opting for healthy sandwiches, preferring brown sugar to white sugar; with a big number unsure of the Ca nutritional content in skimmed milk, but very aware of the value of natural fruits.
Nutritional knowledge
The overall of the nutritional knowledge in the pregnant women ranked as 28.5% for those highly knowledgeable, 46.5% for the moderately knowledgeable and 25% with the least nutritional knowledge. Meat consumption is highest in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters with milk product consumption taking a slight high in 2nd trimester as compared to the 1st and 3rd trimesters. There was reportedly relative consumption of lamb, fish and chicken through the 1st to the 3rd trimester with average number of times as four times for all the three trimesters.
The consumption of liver was extremely low, while milk and dairy products consumption like cheese, labna and milk consumption recording relatively average indulgence through the three pregnancy semesters. There was also considerable average meat and dairy products indulgence by pregnant women between different groups and even within specific groups under study. The groupings had influence in the consumption of cheese, liver, fish, chicken, labna and milk among pregnant women.
Discussion
Being that there is a relatively low level of educated pregnant mothers in Qatar, with some of the women barely in preparatory level of education. It is obviously a factor affecting the nutritional knowledge levels among the women. In addition, it is a contribution to the low knowledge on the nutritional composition of the required foods for pregnant women and that leads to weight gain prevalence during pregnancy.
Weight gain is also contributed to from the lack of physical exercises as reported by the pregnant women under study. Overall, there is a relationship between educational level and weight gain among pregnant women in Qatar. This is because through education, the women have a chance of learning nutritional requirement during pregnancy and the importance of physical exercise. Inadequacy in education, therefore, becomes a limitation to vital information regarding nutrition, and leaves the pregnant women prevalent to gaining excessive weight while pregnant because of unhealthy feeding indulgences. The reports for guidance from dietitians show the need for more nutritional education for pregnant women. It is the need for education from dietitians, which can assist pregnant women with the knowledge of required nutrients, hence reducing their chances of excessive weight gain.
This study focuses on highlighting the limitations facing the ability of pregnant women to eat healthily. It is an effort to provide dietitians, clinicians, policy makers and women get public information necessary for creating change in the lives of pregnant women in Qatar. There is need for educating pregnant women regarding their nutritional needs during pregnancy. The limitation of this study is the lack of adequate information recordings about nutritional behaviors of pregnant women. It, therefore, remains as a call for more research on the issue to give pregnant women a chance for bettering their lives and those of the conceived children.
Conclusion
The women who attend healthcare have a reportedly low knowledge levels on nutritional requirements. Those with moderate knowledge on required nutrition have the highest percentage and that is confirming the irregularities in the nutrient consumption amongst the pregnant women. The lack of sufficient knowledge produce the reported pattern with most of the women not even sure of the nutrient content in some of the foods leading to the incapacity of healthy food choices. Such a study is an effort towards helping with the change in perspective of women regarding nutrition and giving them a chance of knowing what they are required to consume during pregnancy.
