Abstract:
Background: Proper maternal nutrition is vital for fetal development and maternal health.
Dietary practices among pregnant women are influenced by personal, socioeconomic, and
environmental factors. Despite established healthcare, nutritional disparities persist in Sri Lanka,
necessitating targeted interventions to improve maternal nutrition and pregnancy outcomes.
Objective: To assess the dietary practices and their determinants of pregnant women attending
antenatal clinics at Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in the Colombo district, Sri Lanka
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in four purposively selected MOH
areas in Colombo, Sri Lanka. A total of 422 participants were selected through a cluster sampling
method. Data were gathered using a validated questionnaire with two sections, including
sociodemographic data and a pre-validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Appropriate
dietary practices were identified; if the women had at least four meals a day, high food variety
score (FVS), high dietary diversity (DD), and high animal source consumption (ASF). Data were
descriptively analysed for frequencies and percentages using SPSS version 26.0. Poisson
regression was applied to identify determinants of dietary practices. Statistical significance was
considered at p<0.05.
Results: Of the total, 380 (90%) participants responded. The mean±SD age was 30.72±3.96
years, with the majority (98.2%) being married, and residing in urban areas (73.7%). Of them,
64.7% exhibited high DD. Additionally, 52.1% had a high FVS, and 64.7% demonstrated high
ASF. Overall, 64.7% followed appropriate dietary practices. Higher educational attainment,
formal employment, and residential areas were determinants of appropriate dietary practices,
whereas younger age, lower education levels, and being a housewife were associated with
inappropriate dietary practices (p<0.05).
Conclusions: This study highlights that predominantly pregnant mothers had appropriate dietary
practices, but a considerable number were found to have poor practices. While age, occupation,
higher education level, and residential areas influence their dietary practices, immediate
interventions need to address the vulnerable groups.
