Review on Nutritional Malpractices Gaps, Motivational Barriers and Consequences in pregnant Women. Evidences from Recent Literatures and Program Implication in Ethiopia

Abstract

Maternal nutrition is very important for wellbeing of women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period which are crucial for the well-being of a mother and new born baby. Despite the healthy eating recommendation, most of women in developing countries including Ethiopia practiced nutritional malpractices due to perceived tradition/beliefs such as taboos of good foods, craving of junked foods (sweet, fat and salty/spicy foods) and non food items (soil, coffee residue/grind/leaf, soft white stone and ash). Socio-economic status, health care/ facilities, social support, community, culture, norm, religion, residency, season and dietary practices are the most important barriers to nutritional malpractices. Food taboos are a strong disliking and removal of foods such as animal sources (yogurt, cheese,  milk, eggs, fatty and organ meat); vegetables (cabbage, spinach, lettuce, banana, pepper, kale, broccoli, pumpkin and sugar cane), fruits and roots (mango, orange, avocado, pineapple, pimento, potatoes and sweet potato), and grains  (linseed, porridge, wheat bread, wheat and groundnut). Furthermore, fearing related to birth difficulty, plastered on fetal head, discoloration of fetus, fatty baby, burns of fetus, abortion, prevent diseases (gastritis, diarrhea and typhoid) and inconveniences like abdominal cramp are the primary motivational drivers to taboos of healthy diets in Ethiopia. Additionally, personal interest, flavor and color items are important motivators to practice cravings that affect nutrient intake, absorption of iron and zinc and gastrointestinal morbidities (abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea). Overall, these malpractices are highly causative predictors for macro and micro nutrients deficiencies that results in negative pregnancy outcomes (anaemia and intrauterine growth restriction) in women and (infection, preeclampsia, bleeding, premature birth, low birth weight, and poor cognitive development) in the infant. Therefore, working in the identified gaps could reduce the current burden of adverse health consequences and related negative outcomes among women in Ethiopia. Accordingly, measures and government actions to support healthy dietary habits can be improved by empowering health practitioners in providing effective nutrition education, counseling and awareness generation programs. Urgent implementation of health and nutrition education programs considering cognizance of popular beliefs regarding food during pregnancy and use innovative means to minimize their negative and maximize their positive nutritional effects designed by the government of Ethiopia could also serve as a long-term solution to the problem.

Keywords: Food Taboo, Food Craving, Pica, Health Effect, Pregnant Women, Ethiopia

DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/127-02

Publication date: July 28^th 2026