Nutrition Knowledge is Associated With the Consumption of Iron Rich Foods: A Survey Among Pregnant Women From a Rural District in Northern Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Iron deficiency anaemia is an international public health concern and pregnant women are at an increased risk. We investigated the consumption of iron rich foods and associated factors among pregnant women in a rural district from Ghana. METHODS: Following a cross-sectional design, dietary intake of iron rich foods was obtained from 252 pregnant women using a 24-hour recall food check list. Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics were also assessed. FINDINGS: Participants had a mean (SD) knowledge score of 54.66 (22.74)%. About 73% of the participants had heard about iron-deficiency anaemia. Only 16.3% of the participants knew foods that help the body to absorb and use iron while 9.1% knew beverages that decrease iron absorption. About 71% of the participants ate fish and/or seafood while 67.1% of them ate green leafy vegetables. Only 4.4% of the participants ate organ meat, and 29% took flesh meat. Only 22.4% of the study participants usually drank coffee or tea while 78.2% ate vitamin C-rich foods. With regards to attitudes, 88.5% of the participants perceived anaemia to be a serious disease. Nutrition knowledge was significantly associated with the consumption of iron rich foods (β = .02; 95% CI = 0.01-0.02). CONCLUSION: Nutrition knowledge may be an important determinant of the consumption of iron rich foods among pregnant women making it necessary for healthcare providers to continue to provide nutrition education to pregnant women during routine antenatal care.