Dietary diversity among pregnant women and associated factors in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Backgrounds Pregnancy related complications are major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diversified food consumption is essential to produce hormones during pregnancy and it reduced complications. In Ethiopia, many researchers were investigated about the proportion of pregnant women with dietary diversity and its determinant factors. However, those studies are inconsistent and fragmented. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the pooled proportion of pregnant women with dietary diversity practice and its associated factors in Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a systematic electronic web-based search of PubMed/ /MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Google online databases for identifying studies on proportion of pregnant women with dietary diversity practice and its associated factors in Ethiopia using pre-defined quality and inclusion criteria. STATA version 14 statistical software was used to analyze the data. We extracted relevant data and presented in tabular form. The I2 test was used to assess heterogeneity across studies. Funnel plot asymmetry and Begg’s test were used to check for publication bias. The final effect size was determined by applying a random-effects model. Results Our search identified 170 studies. Of which, 23 were included in the final analysis stage. The pooled proportion of dietary diversity among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 41% (95% CI: 33, 49). Mothers can read and write (OR = 1.82 (95% CI: 1.25, 2.64)), maternal primary school and above educated (OR = 2.11 (95% CI: 1.10, 4.05)), nutritional information (OR = 4.1 (95% CI: 2.1, 7.99), dietary diversity knowledge (OR = 3.4 (95% CI: 2.73, 4.73)) and household had rich wealth index (OR = 3.45 (95% CI: 1.19, 10.1)) were significantly associated with dietary diversity practice during pregnancy. Conclusions In this meta-analysis; we found that low proportion of pregnant women with adequate dietary diversity in Ethiopia (41%). Maternal education, nutritional information, dietary diversity knowledge and wealth index level of household were significantly associated factors of pregnant woman with dietary diversity practice. This finding implies that improving the awareness of woman about dietary diversity during pregnancy and empowering women economically would play a significant role to improve dietary diversity practice.

Dietary diversity (DD) and associated factors among Lactating women (LW) in Pawie district, Northwest, Ethiopia, 2019: community-based cross-sectional study

“…This finding is almost consistent with the study done in Bale zone [ 10 ], Northeast Ethiopia [ 24 ], Aksum Tigray [ 25 ]East Gojam Zone [ 6 ], A systematic review and meta-analysis finding of Ethiopia [ 26 , 27 ], and Southern Ethiopia [ 1 ]. All studies have similar sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and seasonal variations characteristics might be the possible reason for similarities.…”

Pregnant Mothers Diversified Dietary Intake and Associated Factors in Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This study found no statistically significant link between adequate dietary diversity intake and certain demographic factors (mothers' age, religion, husband education, and husband occupation). This finding is similar to one based on an Ethiopian systematic review [ 1 ]. However, mothers who earn their own money have a better chance of eating a diverse diet than mothers who do not.…”

“…Our study's proportion of adequately diverse dietary intake was lower than figures from South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Pakistan, which were 25 percent, 61 percent, 46 percent, and 94 percent, respectively [ 26 – 29 ]. Similarly, the finding of this study was lower than the 41 percent obtained by a systematic review of studies conducted in Ethiopia, and the 24.7 percent obtained by another community-based study conducted in the Gamo zone, Kucha district [ 1 , 30 ]. This is because the study was conducted in a rural area, where mothers may have limited access to information and may adhere to traditional dietary intake practices.…”

“…An inadequately diversified diet during pregnancy worsens maternal health and causes adverse birth outcomes. In Ethiopia, a low proportion (41%) of pregnant mothers obtained an adequately diversified diet, and as a result, many children are suffering from undernutrition [ 1 ]. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) report, 13% of births were low birth weight (Central Statistical Agency [ 2 ].…”

Determinants of Dietary Diversity Practice among Pregnant Women in the Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…According to some studies conducted in the country, adequate dietary diversity among pregnant women varies within the country ranging from 12.8% in the Oromia region to 61.2% in the Tigray region [ 26 – 31 ]. Educational status of the mother, monthly household income, livestock ownership, women who received emotional support from their husbands, wealth index, women who engaged in shopping, and nutrition information are all factors that influence pregnant women's dietary variety practices [ 26 – 29 ]. However, research has scarcely investigated women's empowerment and women's employment in dietary diversity practice during pregnancy in Ethiopia.…”