Food Consumption Score and the Nexus of Maternal Nutritional Status among Pregnant Women in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia

Teshale Fikadu ^1,2* Dessalegn Tamiru ³ Beyene Wondafrash Ademe ³

• ¹ Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
• ² School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia
• ³ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health, Jimma University,, Jimma, Ethiopia

Background: Poor nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life can result in developmental delays, stunted growth, cognitive impairments, and a higher risk of chronic diseases later in life. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the level of food consumption scores and its associated factor among pregnant women. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 638 randomly selected pregnant women. Data were collected using a pre-tested, interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Modified Poisson regression was employed to measure prevalence ratios, while both bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify potential variables for further analysis and to determine factors associated with an acceptable FCS, respectively. Result: Among the 638 pregnant women, 8.15% (95% CI: 6.26, 10.55) had poor, 14.89% (95% CI: 12.33, 17.87) had borderline, and 76.96% (95% CI: 73.52, 80.07) had acceptable food consumption scores While 31.97% of the pregnant women were suffering from under nutrition. Acceptable food consumption score was higher among women who were urban dwellers (APR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.20), in higher economic status (APR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.16), had planned pregnancy (APR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.25), were exposed to mass media (APR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.31), had a vegetable garden (APR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.25), attend health facility for antenatal care (APR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.26), and those who consumed food four or more times per day (APR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.36). Also the level of acceptable food consumption score increased by 2%, 3%, and 4% for every one-unit increase in BMI (APR = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04), MUAC in cm (APR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.05), and gestational age in weeks (APR = 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07), respectively. Conclusion: one-third and three-fourths of the pregnant women were undernourished and had acceptable FCS, respectively. Factors associated with acceptable FCS included place of residence, wealth status, planned pregnancy, exposure to mass media, having a vegetable garden, attending antenatal care at health facilities, consuming four or more meals daily, and gestational age.