The Impact of Level of Education of Pregnant Women on Nutritional Adherence

Abstract

The study examined the impact of educational level of pregnant women on their adherence to nutrition recommendation in
Ado-Ekiti local government area of Ekiti state. The study investigated the Impact of education, the knowledge, the social status, socioeconomic
and socio-cultural factors on adherence to nutrition among pregnant women in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research design for the
study was descriptive in nature and survey approach was adopted for the entire population. The population consisted of the literate and
illiterate pregnant women of child bearing ages selected through purposive random sampling technique in five hospitals in Ado-Ekiti local
Government. A sample of 100 respondents was randomly selected using purposive and stratified random sampling technique. A
questionnaire tilled “Education and nutrition of pregnant women in Ekiti State “was used for collecting data. To ensure the validity of the
instrument copies of the instrument were given to health care practitioners and nutrition specialists in the hospitals that are not part of the
sample and the Department of Health and Human kinetics Ekiti State University. They ensured face and content validities of the
instrument. A reliability coefficient of 0.74 was obtained using test retest reliability. This was found significant at 0.05 level of significance.
The instrument was personally administered in the maternity homes in Ado-Ekiti local Government Area of Ekiti State. The data
generated were analysed using descriptive and inferential Statistics. The general question raised was answered using frequency counts
and percentages. The hypothesis postulated was tested using Chi-square (x2). The analysis of the data revealed that Education
determined to a large extent the nutritional adherence by pregnant women. There are significant relationship between the education level
of respondent pregnant women and their nutritional adherence. Based on the findings, the curriculum planners should integrate
nutritional counselling to all levels of education in Nigeria schools. The Ekiti State Government and Nigeria Government should have a
nutritional guide for would be pregnant women in Ekiti State.