Nutrition literacy in pregnant women: a systematic review

Adequate nutrition during pregnancy supports maternal and fetal health; however, a comprehensive or sophisticated understanding of nutrition literacy among pregnant women remains limited. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the current literature on nutrition literacy in pregnant women, with a focus on socioeconomic factors and nutrition education interventions. Databases including PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for publications that described nutrition literacy, and related concepts, in pregnant women. The search included studies published in English between January 2000 and May 23, 2025. While 1757 studies were identified, only 5 met the inclusion criteria. These studies explored nutrition literacy levels, the influence of socioeconomic factors, and/or the effectiveness of education interventions on nutrition literacy during pregnancy. Socioeconomic factors, such as income, education, and health insurance were strongly associated with nutrition literacy levels. Nutrition education interventions improved dietary quality and nutrition literacy. However, challenges remain in measuring nutrition literacy as there are various assessment tools which limited the ability to perform cross-study comparisons. Improving socioeconomic conditions and providing nutrition education programs during pregnancy are essential for improving nutrition literacy among pregnant women. Future research should focus on creating standardized, culturally adaptable assessment tools, as well as evaluate the long-term impacts of nutrition education programs during the prenatal period.