Pregnancy Outcomes of Women in Lagos State: Is Nutrition Education Responsible?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2014.7.11Keywords:
Lagos state, Nigeria, nutrition education, pregnancy outcomesAbstract
This study determined the impact of hospital-based nutrition education on pregnancy outcomes of women in Lagos state. The cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 pregnant women (18-45 years) selected from two general hospital s in Lagos state. The subjects were randomly assigned to either Intervention (I) or Control (C) group in both urban and rural areas. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. The results revealed that only 46% of pregnant women registered for ante-natal care in the first trimester. There was also improvement in the nutritional knowledge test score obtained at the fifth visit. Only 6% of the women who received nutrition education had stillbirths. 24% of the babies of the control group had low birth weights (<2.5kg) while 12% of those who received nutrition education had high birth weights (>4.0kg), the number (64%) of babies with normal weight was significantly (p<0.05) related to the time of maternal registration at the ante-natal clinic. There was a significant difference (p<001) between the birth weights of children in the control group and the intervention group. There was also a significant difference (p>002) between the nutrition knowledge test score of the respondents in the control and the intervention group. Frequent Continuing Education should be given to women of child bearing-age to increase more positive pregnancy outcomes.
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