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Background: Maternal nutrition during the first 1,000 days has important influences on children’s nutrition and pregnancy outcomes. This study therefore assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of essential nutrition actions among pregnant women utilizing antenatal care services in Ibadan municipality, South-western Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women (15-49 years) receiving antenatal care (ANC) services across selected private and public health facilities. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on optimal dietary intake, prevention and control of anaemia and promotion of supportive lifestyle and care, according to the essential nutrition actions framework. Results: The mean age of respondents was 29.85±4.89 years while the mean gestational age of pregnancy at respondents’ ANC booking was 18.33±6.12 weeks. About one-third (33.60%) of the respondents had poor knowledge scores (mean knowledge score 5.70±1.50 out of 10), with no significant difference across type of health facility. Mean attitude score was 13.76±2.44 out of 20, while practice was generally poor (mean practice score 4.80±1.34 out of 10). Respondents attending larger tertiary hospitals for ANC had higher knowledge and practice compared to those who attended smaller primary health care centers/mission homes. Additionally, the time of booking, parity, and type of antenatal care center were statistically significant to knowledge and practice (p<0.05). Conclusions: Antenatal care is still a valid platform for delivering maternal knowledge and encouraging practice of essential nutritional actions. It is recommended that expertise in tertiary hospitals be diffused to lower cadre of health care facilities to further strengthen ANC service delivery.
Olukemitan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.