Effect of Nutrition Education on Pregnancy Specific Nutrition Knowledge and Healthy Dietary Practice among Pregnant Women in Addis Ababa

Background: Evidence showed that nutrition education during pregnancy has significant impact on dietary habit of pregnant women and on maternal and birth outcome of pregnancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that health care providers need to give adequate, specific and acceptable nutrition related advice to pregnant women during every visit of antenatal care (ANC). Objective: To assess the effect of nutrition reduction on the knowledge and practice of pregnant women during pregnancy in Akaki Kality Sub-city, Addis Ababa. Methodology: A before-after cross sectional study was conducted among 406 pregnant women in Akaki Kality Sub-city, Addis Ababa. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women on pregnancy specific nutrition was assessed before and after receiving education from trained ANC providers. Data was managed using SPSS 20. Change in nutrition knowledge and dietary practice of pregnant women during pregnancy was analysed by using paired t-test and 95% confidence interval. Results: The response rate of this study was 96.3%. The common source of information for pregnant women on nutrition during pregnancy was health professionals (59%). The mean knowledge and practice score of pregnant women was 5.5 (SD ± 2) out of 9 and 6.2 (SD ± 2) out of 11 respectively. After nutrition education program intervention the proportion of pregnant women with knowledge on proper nutrition during pregnancy increased from 53.9 (95% CI: 48.9, 58.8) to 97% (95% CI: 94.8, 98.5) while the pregnancy specific dietary practice of the pregnant women increased from 46.8% (95% CI: 41.8, 51.7) to 83.7% (95% CI: 79.8, 87.2). Conclusions and recommendations: Nutrition education during pregnancy by health care providers could improve knowledge and practice of women during pregnancy. Thus, attention should be given to promote nutrition education at the ANC for pregnant women to get reliable and accurate information from health professionals.