Food beliefs and practices among the Kalenjin pregnant women in rural Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

BackgroundUnderstanding food beliefs and practices is critical to the development of dietary recommendations, nutritional programmes, and educational messages. This study aimed to understand the pregnancy food beliefs and practices and the underlying reasons for these among the contemporary rural Kalenjin communities of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.MethodsThrough semi-structured interviews, data was collected from 154 pregnant and post-natal Kalenjin women about restricted and recommended foods, and why they are restricted or recommended during pregnancy. Respondents were purposively selected (based on diversity) from those attending Maternal and Child Health (MCH) care in 23 rural public health facilities. Key informant interviews (n = 9) with traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) who were also herbalists, community health workers, and nursing officers in charge of MCH were also conducted. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS software. Data from respondents who gave consent to be tape recorded (n = 42) was transcribed and qualitatively analysed using MAXQDA software.ResultsThe restriction of animal organs specifically the tongue, heart, udder and male reproductive organs, meat and eggs, and the recommendation of traditional green vegetables and milk was reported by more than 60% of the respondents. Recommendation of fruits, traditional herbs, ugali (a dish made of maize flour, millet flour, or Sorghum flour, sometimes mixed with cassava flour), porridge and liver, and restriction of avocadoes and oily food were reported by more than 20% of the respondents. The reasons for observing these dietary precautions were mainly fears of: big foetuses, less blood, lack of strength during birth, miscarriages or stillbirths, and maternal deaths as well as child’s colic and poor skin conditions after birth.ConclusionPregnancy food beliefs were widely known and practised mainly to protect the health of the mother and child, and ensuring successful pregnancy outcome. Given the deep-rooted nature of the beliefs, it is advisable that when nutritious foods are restricted, nutritional interventions should rather search for alternative sources of nutrition which are available and considered to be appropriate for pregnancy. On the other hand, nutritional advice that does not address these health concerns and assumptions that underlie successful pregnancy and delivery is unlikely to be effective.

Implementation fidelity of Iron and Folic Acid supplementation (IFAs) and associated challenges among pregnant women in Uasin Gishu County Kenya

“…A similar finding was established among the Ghanaian pregnant women whose knowledge about food was drawn from multiple sources, some of which were in line with hospital knowledge while others conflicted [50]. Knowledge acquired from local women in most cases tends to be restricted to low-cost dietary sources of micronutrients which are readily available in their environment due to cultural nutritional taboos [51,52].…”

Perceived Indigenous Perspectives of Maternal Health Care Services among Women of Marakwet, Kenya

“…From the finding, special herbs and special diet are aspect of nutrition supplement in pregnancy and childbirth features and may inform the biosocial framework of delivery of Marakwet. The importance of diet and nutrition in pregnancy are well documented [19,30]. Rono et al who reports that herbs and special diet among the Marakwet as critical and add that Marakwet norms deter pregnant women from eating meat from a dead animal [10] support the study's findings.…”

“…The special diet is to enhance mothers immunity and in case of geophagy (soil craving), she is directed on appropriate source. Riang'a and company however alleges that over consumption of meat makes the baby big and brings misfortune to mother or baby during delivery [30]. Additionally, communities abstract food such as eggs make the baby big; causes high blood pressure and colic pain in the baby therefore are prohibited [30].…”

Changes in women's dietary diversity before and during pregnancy in Southern Benin

“…Taboos about the consumption of eggs are also widespread in Africa. In some parts of Kenya, for example, the consumption of eggs during pregnancy is believed to cause obstructed labour (Riang'a, Broerse, & Nangulu, ). In several African countries, eating eggs may be associated with sterility (Latham, ).…”