# Prevalence and its associated factors of inadequate dietary diversity among pregnant women attending antenatal care in selected public health facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

## TL;DR

This study finds that over half of pregnant women in Addis Ababa have poor dietary diversity, linked to low education, income, counseling, and food insecurity.

## Contribution

The study identifies key socioeconomic and educational factors associated with inadequate dietary diversity among pregnant women in Addis Ababa.

## Key findings

- 55.8% of pregnant women had inadequate dietary diversity.
- Low income, lack of education, no counseling, and household food insecurity were significant factors.
- Improving education, counseling, and food security could reduce inadequate dietary diversity.

## Abstract

Adequate dietary diversity during pregnancy is crucial for the well-being and growth of both the mother and the child. Many pregnant women in Ethiopia, including in Addis Ababa, suffer from poor dietary diversity and associated malnutrition. However, previous studies conducted in Addis Ababa are limited in scope. Therefore, this study assessed inadequate dietary diversity and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in selected public health facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 615 pregnant women in Addis Ababa who were receiving antenatal care at selected public health facilities. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a structured pretested questionnaire. The validated 10 food group dietary diversity questions were used to elicit dietary diversity. This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Menelik II Medical and Health Science Collage (Ref.No.5/38/12/1985). The data were entered on Epi-info version 7.2.1.0 and exported to SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with low dietary diversity. In general, 55.8% of pregnant women had inadequate dietary diversity. Significant factors included lack of education (AOR = 3.75, 95% CI: 1.96,7.15), low income (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.02,2.74), lack of nutritional counseling (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.06,2.68) and household food insecurity (AOR = 5.33,95%CI:2.05,13.81), which were factors associated with inadequate dietary diversity among pregnant women, respectively. The magnitude of inadequate dietary diversity remains high among pregnant women in Addis Ababa. Having low income, being unable to read and write, lacking counseling about dietary diversity, and having household food insecurity were significantly associated with inadequate diversified dietary. Therefore, enhancing women’s education, offering counselling on dietary diversity, and implementing sustainable income-generating and food security interventions activities are crucial.