Nutritional Health Knowledge and Literacy among Pregnant Women in the Czech Republic: Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Adequate nutrition and the nutritional status of pregnant women are critical for the health of both the mother and the developing foetus. Research has shown a significant impact of nutrition on the child’s health and the future risk of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. There is currently no data on the level of nutritional knowledge of Czech pregnant women. This survey aimed to evaluate their level of nutritional knowledge and literacy. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two healthcare facilities in Prague and Pilsen between April and June 2022. An anonymous self-administered paper-form questionnaire for assessing the level of nutritional knowledge (40 items) and the Likert scale for assessing nutrition literacy (5 items) were used. A total number of 401 women completed the questionnaire. An individual’s nutritional knowledge score was calculated and compared with demographic and anamnestic characteristics using statistical methods. The results showed that only 5% of women achieved an overall nutritional score of 80% or more. University education (p < 0.001), living in the capital city (p < 0.001), experiencing first pregnancy (p = 0.041), having normal weight and being overweight (p = 0.024), and having NCDs (p = 0.044) were statistically significantly associated with a higher nutritional knowledge score. The lowest knowledge scores were found in the areas of optimal energy intake, optimal weight gain, and the role of micronutrients in diet during pregnancy. In conclusion, the study shows limited nutrition knowledge of Czech pregnant women in some areas of nutrition. Increasing nutritional knowledge and nutrition literacy in Czech pregnant women is crucial for supporting their optimal course of pregnancy and the future health of their offspring.

Nutrition Uptake among Pregnant Women: A Case of Solwezi District, North Western Province

“…The findings of the present study are in line with a cross-sectional study that was conducted with the aim of determining the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pregnant women regarding nutrition during pregnancy in Yazd [11] which reported positive attitude positive towards nutrition. Similar findings were reported in another Nigerian study by Okunaiyi [12] conducted among Pregnant Women in Urban slums of Lagos State, which revealed that most of the participants had positive attitudes towards nutrition. Furthermore, a Swaziland study revealed the majority of the respondents had positive attitudes nutrition attitudes.…”

“…The study also revealed that less than half of the respondents, did not engage in any physical activities during pregnancy. The findings are in line with the study which was conducted in Indonesia [12] on factors affecting maternal nutrition and health with an assumption that maternal nutrition practices, access to resources and food distribution systems which indicated that, despite the fairly balanced social status of Minang women due to the matrilineal traditions in their households and the community, the impact of health inequalities on women's health remains a challenge. Issues such as poverty, access to food and adequate/appropriate nutritional information during pregnancy seem to be the major challenges for pregnant mothers and their families.…”

Effects of a Comprehensive Dietary Intervention Program, Promoting Nutrition Literacy, Eating Behavior, Dietary Quality, and Gestational Weight Gain in Chinese Urban Women with Normal Body Mass Index during Pregnancy

“…These obstacles primarily revolve around deficiencies in the dietary information delivery system, encompassing challenges related to accessing reliable dietary information; cognitive aspects such as understanding, memorization, and the application of dietary information; as well as the skills required to effectively communicate dietary information within the family environment. These findings underscore the pervasive issue of nutritional literacy deficiency among pregnant women [42]. This is in contrast to previous studies that have shown ineffective outcomes, particularly those focusing on online dietary interventions [10][11][12][13][14], which mainly provide static text or video information with limited incorporation of interactive information consultations or regular text responses.…”

“…These obstacles primarily revolve around deficiencies in the dietary information delivery system, encompassing challenges related to accessing reliable dietary information; cognitive aspects such as understanding, memorization, and the application of dietary information; as well as the skills required to effectively communicate dietary information within the family environment. These findings underscore the pervasive issue of nutritional literacy deficiency among pregnant women [ 42 ].…”

Clinical Study on the Implications of Immunological Markers in the Diagnosis of Periodontitis in People with Diabetes Mellitus

“…Also, if the infection is severe, the glycemic level is difficult to control and in such a case it may be better to remove the affected teeth and provide oral rehabilitation to the patient [ 22 ]. Alimentation and oral rehabilitation helps patients to improve their nutritional health [ 23 ].…”