Objective: This study aimed to describe food taboos and thier possible causes of aviodance during pregnancy among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Omdurman, Sudan. Methods: The study was conducted at antenatal clinic Omdurman Maternity Hospital (OMH), Omdurman, Sudan from June to December 2015. Data was gathered by using a questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the association between mothers endorsed avoidance of food and some selected socio-demographic factors. Results: Out of 600 studied cases, approximately 33 % (198) of them had superstitious food beliefs in pregnancy. There was a significant association between women who endorsed avoidance of food and living in rural areas, having lower education, younger, and inadequate antenatal care. Honey, citrus, eggs, were the most common avoided food items. Reasons for food prohibition included harmed the fetus, miscarriage, preeclampsia and prolonged labor. Conclusion: We found more than one-third of pregnant populating had a superstitious food beliefs. A superstitious food belief is associated with living in rural areas, low level of education and inadequate antenatal care. Diet during pregnancy is influenced by a variety of factors including cultural norms as well as superstitious food beliefs and misconception.
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The Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research is a bi-monthly multidisciplinary medical journal.