Effectiveness of Nutritional Educational Program on Knowledge and Dietary Behaviors Among Pregnant Women in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy is a transitional period involving biological, psychological, and social changes when proper nutrition impacts healthy pregnancy outcomes. Maternal nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors of pregnant women are the most critical nutritional status factors.  Objective: The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of nutritional educational programs on knowledge and dietary behaviors among pregnant women in Bangladesh. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre and post-test was conducted among 42 purposively selected participants. The instruments were three structured questionnaires- a sociodemographic characteristics and pregnancy-related questionnaire, a nutritional knowledge questionnaire, and a dietary behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Effectiveness was analyzed by using a paired t-test. Results: Finding shows that the mean of post-test nutritional knowledge (M=18.02; SD = 3.31) and dietary behaviors (M =82.64; SD=11.8) was significantly (t=-12.29, p <.001; t=-21.92, p<.001) higher than that of pretest (M=12.37, SD = 7.48; M=70.1, SD=12.24) respectively. Conclusion: It is concluded that the nutritional educational program effectively increased pregnant women's nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors. Therefore, this finding is recommended to policymakers to implement this intervention to promote pregnant women's nutritional knowledge and eating behaviors for healthy outcomes.