Canadian Midwives’ Experiences with Nutrition in Their Training and Practice: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

IntroductionMidwives are primary prenatal care providers well‐positioned to offer nutrition advice to pregnant individuals; however, no Canadian study has assessed midwives’ experience with nutrition education. The objective of this study was to investigate Canadian midwives’ experiences with nutrition in their practice, their level of nutrition education, and their recommendations on select nutrition topics.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study used an anonymous online survey consisting of 4 sections: demographics, opinions on the importance of nutrition, nutrition recommendations for pregnancy, and nutrition topics that midwives would like more information on. Responses were recorded using Likert‐type scales, multiple choice, or open‐ended questions. Eligible participants, registered Canadian midwives, were recruited through advertisements in e‐newsletters via national and provincial midwifery associations, social media posts, and emails to midwifery clinics. An independent samples t test compared differences in means for continuous outcomes, the χ2 test compared categorical variables, and the Mann‐Whitney U test compared ordinal variables. A P < .05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsIn total, 161 midwives completed the online survey. Most midwives (92.5%) indicated that nutrition for pregnancy was important, and 83.2% believed their role in providing nutrition information to pregnant women was important. Almost two‐thirds (63.8%) of midwives received nutrition education. Comfort levels were highest (median = 4) when providing nutrition advice on healthy eating, weight gain, Listeria, anemia, heartburn, safe food handling, nutrition for breastfeeding, and weight gain for women with obesity. Almost all the midwives (99.4%) had provided nutrition information to pregnant women, and 85.2% of their recommendations aligned with Canadian guidelines and literature.DiscussionCanadian midwives valued the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and their role in providing nutrition information to pregnant women. The level of comfort in advising on nutrition ranged from uncomfortable to very comfortable depending on the topic, and most (85.2%) of their advice aligned with Canadian guidelines and relevant literature.