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Dietary intake knowledge and reasons for food restriction during pregnancy among pregnant women attending primary health care centers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Overall, there was a significant relationship between the level of education and occupations of
respondents (P = 0.024). The proportions of respondents with poor knowledge of dietary intake were
lower among the respondents with higher monthly income compared with those with no monthly
income and this association was found to be significant (P = 0.006). However, no significant associ-
ation was found between knowledge of dietary intake and other socio-demographic variables such as
marital status, parity, religion, ethnicity, and number of children.
Reasons for food restriction or avoidance during pregnancy were presented in Table 4. Cultural
taboos (36.5%) topped the list of the factors influencing diet during pregnancy mentioned by the
respondents, followed by restriction of some food because they cause big babies or make labor and
delivery difficult (25.6%), belief relating to negative health effects of foods (13.7%), dislike of food
taste during pregnancy (12.1%), and food forbidden on religious grounds (12.1%).

Table 4. Foods avoided by respondents during pregnancy based on cultural taboos/beliefs (N = 530)
*Cultural belief Food avoided N %
*Depressed fontanelle^ Pumpkin 241 45.5
Banana 154 29.1
Plantain 102 19.2
*Belching during delivery Crasscephalum crepidoides+ 331 62.5
Dioscorea dumetorum++ 278 52.5
Walnut 14 2.6
Odu 13 2.5
*Animalistic behavior Snake 187 35.3
Antelope 89 16.8
Wild rat 68 12.8
Dog 13 2.5
Donkey 8 1.5
*Diet against family rites Okro 102 19.3
Pork 56 10.6
Dog 53 10.0
Antelope 35 6.6
Snake 13 2.5
Wild rat 12 2.3
Bat 4 0.8
Snail 1 0.2
*Salivate excessively Snail 269 50.8
Pork 4 0.8
Dog 3 0.6
*Animalistic resemblance Snake 94 17.7
Wild rat 8 1.5
Pork 7 1.3
Snail 6 1.1
Dog 5 0.9
Antelope 1 0.2
*Reduced contraction strength Walnut 315 59.4
Dioscorea dumetorum 35 6.6
Crasscephalum crepidoides 20 3.8
Mushroom 5 0.9
*Slit on new born Pumpkin 3 0.6
*Multiple responses
^Depressed fontanelle – a soft spot on a babyft skull with noticeable inward curve
+Referred to as Thickhead, Fireweed (English) and Ebolo (Yoruba).
++Referred to as Bitter Yam (English), Esuru (Yoruba).

110 International Journal of Population Studies | 2016, Volume 2, Issue 1