THE   EFFECT  OF  NUTRITIONAL  EDUCATION  ON THE HEALTH    OF  PREGNANT  WOMEN  IN ODONGUNYAN  AREA  OF  IKORODU IN LAGOS  STATE.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Nutritional education is an essential component of antenatal care, helping to promote the health  of the pregnant mother and the fetus by  creating an awareness of  imbibing the culture of eating well through positive change in their nutritional behavior.  According to Abu-Saad and Fraser (2010), maternal nutrition is a modifiable risk factor of public health importance that can be integrated into efforts to prevent adverse birth outcomes, particularly among economically developing/low-income populations. Food must be supplied in the right quantity and quality to support the growth and development of the fetus and to improve the health of the mother by making up for the required physiological needs in pregnancy. Drug supplements are not always advisable in pregnancy because some of the women may abuse and misuse drug that may lead to teratogenic effects and other health challenges in pregnancy especially among the rural, poor and  illiterate women. Food, when taken, is not prone to the aforementioned abuse and are not  dangerous to the growing fetus because the physiological processes in the body has a natural way  of removing any nutrients in excess of body need.

Ladipo (2000) confirmed this by revealing that ‘Even in developed countries, prenatal care providers have reservations about the widespread and indiscriminate use of prophylactic minerals and vitamins because of unproven benefits in well-nourished populations, risks of teratogenicity, and side effects. These concerns need to be considered in the context of developing countries’.

Health education intervention programme has always been attested as an efficacious tool to impart positive changes in health behavior and will only be propitious when the appropriate facilities are harnessed to achieve the predetermined goals of behavioral change which is primordial to health  education enterprise (Adams, 2010).

Nutrition education is a component of health education that helps to create awareness on how to source, prepare, combine and use food resources for  promoting good health among all groups of human being. The focus of this research intervention  was the physical application of fruits and vegetables consumption education  with backup  provision of readily available and financially accessible fruits and vegetables among pregnant  women to improve their knowledge and motivate their positive behavioural change towards  consumption.

Though, the rural  agrarian dwellers may take more of local vegetables which are rich in vitamins and minerals if  properly prepared due to accessibility, but there is no relevant data to determine whether the  recommended quantity is been consumed by the local community members of Nigeria. In U.S.  where several intervention programmes have been embarked upon by researchers to improve fruits  and vegetables consumption, it is still being reported that no satisfactory significant increase has  been recorded among  adults between the year 1988 –1994 and 1999 –2002 and that, there is a mean daily decreases in consumption among adolescents (Larsen, Harris, Ward and Popkin, 2007).

Several counseling programmes have been adopted by community obstetrics and gynecologists, community midwives and community extension workers during antenatal clinic at both the hospitals and health centres to boost fruits and vegetables intake among pregnant women in Nigeria but not much of a success has been recorded in this direction.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In recent times, Odonguyan  communities have her own cultural (traditional) pattern of taking care of their pregnant women. Ignorance and food taboos in the community  results  in poor nutritional quality. Improving the nutritional value of the  pregnant women  by itself will not eliminate the problems. Training and nutrition education of the mothers is necessary to change feeding practices and provide correct information.

Food taboos among rural women have been identified as one of the factors contributing to maternal undernutrition in pregnancy. Pregnant and lactating women in various parts of the world are forced to abstain from nutritious and beneficial foods. In various studies, it was seen that pregnant women in various parts of the world are forced to abstain from nutritious foods as a part of their traditional food habits.

The cultural pattern of a group is based on learned behaviour, acquired partly by deliberate instruction on the part of community leaders, but mostly subconsciously by incidental observation of the behaviour of relatives and other close members of the community. Traditional beliefs and attitudes influence women’s health. Even when women have access to appropriate healthcare, they often prefer home/community based care. Women’s overall health and nutritional status, pregnancy outcomes and other reproductive health problems are considered to be the major biological causes of maternal mortality; therefore, the overall nutritional status of a pregnant woman is principally determined by the feeding practices and care facilities available to her.

The immediate problems of traditional beliefs, inadequate knowledge of pregnant women stem from the proper nutrition are inadequate diet leading to multifarious problems in pregnancy. It is  against  this   background that the researcher sought  to  find  out the effect  of  nutritional  education  on the health  of  pregnant  women  in Odongunyan  Area  Of  Ikorodu In Lagos  State.

• Purpose of the Study

Some of the purposes of this study are:

1. The availability of nutritional education to pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State.
2. To determine whether antenatal consultation  provide the pregnant women knowledge on nutrition.
3. To find out the extent to which nutritional education matters will influence healthy  lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State.
4. To find out the extent to which nutritional education has improved the lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State.
5. To identify those factors affecting nutritional knowledge and habit in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu In Lagos  State.

• Research Questions

The research questions are as follows:

1. What are the availability of nutritional education to pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State?
2. In what way do antenatal consultation  provide the pregnant women knowledge on nutrition?
3. To what extent to which nutritional education matters will influence healthy  lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State?
4. To what extent to which nutritional education has improved the lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State?
5. What are those factors affecting nutritional  knowledge and habit in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu In Lagos  State?

1.5       Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be tested for this study:

1. There is  no basic knowledge of pregnant health services of nutritional education on the health of pregnant women  in Odongunyan  Area  Of  Ikorodu In Lagos  State.
2. There is no nutritional education matters on healthy  lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State.
3. There is no improved nutritional education on the lifestyle of  pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu in Lagos  State.
4. There is  no significant influence of nutritional programmes on the lifestyle  of pregnant women in Odongunyan  Area  of  Ikorodu In Lagos  State.

1.6    Significance of Study

The research study will creates awareness on nutritional knowledge of pregnant women and non pregnant women, individual citizens, government agency, ministry of health   in Nigeria.

This study might be beneficial to the government through the ministry of health, women affairs ministry will be acquainted with correct facts to challenges to nutritional knowledge and habits of pregnant women.

The study will help to discourage poor nutritional knowledge habits among the pregnant women through intervention programmes organized by the state ministry of health while organizing lectures on food and nutrition for pregnant women, health education, diet control services for individual pregnant women.

The study will enhance government agency to sponsor nutritional knowledge orientation through mobile film shows, documentary films, public lectures and, if possible, visitations to sports institute and national stadiums.

1.7       Delimitation of Study

This study is delimited to the following:

A total of 120 Pregnant women in Odonguyan in Ikorodu L.G.A., of Lagos State will  be selected.

This study is delimited to pregnant women in Odonguyan in Ikorodu L.G.A., of Lagos State.

The population of  study includes all the  Lagos State Pregnant women   in  Odonguyan in Ikorodu L.G.A., of Lagos State.

1.8   Limitation of the  Study

The limitation  of  study will  be based on the outcome of  study in chapter four of  this  study. Also the problems of restricted information from the respondents.

1.9  Definition of Terms

Nutrition: This is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life. It is often classified either as proper foods (Carbohydrates, proteins and fats) for the supply energy or as accessory foods (water, inorganic salts and vitamins) which are essential for life but do not supply energy.

Health: It is described  as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

World Health Organisation (WHO): recognized   health institution  established by  the  United Nations (UN). 

Environmental health services: These are medical professional services which is rendered through monitoring and control activities of medical personnel.

Health Education:  This is planned learning experiences based on sound theories that provide individuals, groups, and communities the opportunity to acquire information and the skills needed to make quality health decisions.

Health Practice: This  is  positive behaviour that  would  either  promote  or maintain  good  health  and prevent diseases.

Physical exercise: This is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness.

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