(P20-075-24) Iron Status, Blood Sugar and Dietary Habit Assessment of Pregnant Mothers Attending Antenatal Clinical in Urban and Rural Areas of Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

Objectives: The study assessed the iron status, blood sugar levels, and dietary habits of pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics in both urban and rural areas of Owerri, Imo state. Iron deficiency and gestational diabetes are common nutritional problems during pregnancy that can have adverse effects on both the mother and the unborn child. Additionally, dietary habits play a significant role in determining the overall health of pregnant women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used in collecting data from pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in both rural and urban areas of Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. A total of 250 pregnant women (125 from urban areas and 125 from rural areas) were recruited for the study. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess iron status (haemoglobin levels) and blood sugar levels (fasting blood glucose). Results were recorded accordingly for each analysis. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the respondent’s demographic characteristics, dietary habits and knowledge of nutrition during pregnancy. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects were taken. The collected data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS(version 22.0).

Results: Results revealed that more than half (54.4%) and (77.6%) of both rural and urban respondents attended tertiary schools as their highest level of education. More than half of  the respondents in rural (60.8%) and about 39.2% in urban earned 18,000 - 50,999 as monthly income. The dietary pattern showed that 66.4% of the rural and (53.6%) of urban respondents ate three times a day. The Haemoglobin status of the respondents showed that more than half (51.2%) had anaemia deficiency in the rural area while 54.4% had normal haemoglobin in the urban area. The blood sugar status of the respondents showed eighty-four per cent (84.0%) of the rural had normal blood sugar levels while 58.4% of the urban had normal blood sugar levels.

Conclusions: Urban location, educational level and nutritional knowledge of the women were key factors that supported good dietary habits, iron status and blood sugar levels in the study. Nutrition education should therefore be emphasized in rural areas, especially among pregnant women.

Funding Sources: This study was self-funded by the authors.