Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes among women practicing poor dietary diversity and nutrition in rural Ethiopia: A multi-center prospective cohort study

Background: There is paucity of evidence on the effect and the association between maternal dietary diversity and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Objective: We aimed to assess whether poor dietary diversity and maternal... [ view full abstract ]

Background: There is paucity of evidence on the effect and the association between maternal dietary diversity and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Objective: We aimed to assess whether poor dietary diversity and maternal nutritional status during pregnancy were associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in rural Ethiopia.
Methods: We employed a multi-center prospective cohort study design to recruit a total of 432 eligible pregnant women between August 2014 to March, 2015. The individual dietary diversity status of mothers was used as key exposure variable to select, enroll and follow the mothers. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each outcome were estimated by logistic regression models
Findings: A total 374 pregnant women were retained at the end of the study. Amongst of which 74 (19.8) experienced at least one of the adverse outcomes: 34 (9.1%) gave birth to low birth weight babies, 51(13.6%) had preterm birth and 17 (4.5%) still birth babies. Dietary diversity status was significantly associated with low birth weight (AoR: 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.98) and preterm birth (AoR: 0.18 ; 95% CI, 0.04, 0.73), but not still birth (AoR: 4.61, 95% CI 0.38, 55.4). Consumption of fruits and vegetables, anemia near term and gaining at least 9 kg of weight were other independent predictors of the outcomes.
Conclusion: The risk of adverse outcomes of pregnancy is associated with nutritional and dietary diversity status of the pregnant women. Attention to maternal dietary diversity, emphasizing the consumption of adequate fruits and vegetables are recommended
Key words: Adverse Pregnancy Outcome, Dietary Diversity, Low Birth Weight, Preterm Birth, Still Birth