ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TO ADHERENCE TO NUTRITIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED DURING PREGNANCY AMONG MOTHERS IN BAUCHI URBAN MATERNITY AND GENERAL HOSPITAL BAYARA

Pregnancy is a critical time in a woman’s life, as pregnant females will experience many changes including physical and psychological changes during pregnancy. This descriptive survey study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice to adherence to nutritional services provided during pregnancy among mothers in Bauchi Urban Maternity and General Hospital Bayara.A simple random sampling was used to select 300 respondents from the study area. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. The data collected was coded into Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 for analysis and the data was presented in frequency distribution table and it was correlated. The results obtained revealed that 26% of the respondents were within the age range of 21-25 years, majority (79%) of the respondents were married, about 44.3% of respondents completed secondary school education. Majority (86.7%) of respondents agreed that nutrition during pregnancy is essential for the health of both the mother and the baby. More than half (53%) of respondents strongly agreed that they are motivated to attend antenatal clinics regularly to receive nutritional guidance, the study also found that 23.7% of respondents strongly disagreed with this statement, 54% of respondents consumed fruits and vegetables daily, 21.3% of respondents consumed fruits and vegetables rarely. About 41% of respondents cited lack of information about the benefits of healthy diet from practitioners as a barrier to adherence, majority (71%) of respondents had no barriers in adhering to recommended iron and folic acid supplementation. In conclusion, the study revealed that the attitudes towards nutritional services indicates a strong belief among pregnant mothers that a healthy diet positively impacts fetal development. The practice surrounding nutritional services show that a majority of pregnant mothers consume fruits and vegetables daily, with high rates of whole grains and dairy product consumption. The study recommended that provide comprehensive health education on the importance of nutrition during pregnancy, focusing on the benefits of a balanced diet, iron and folic acid supplementation, and healthy lifestyle choices. Strengthen antenatal clinic services to provide regular nutritional guidance, counseling, and support to pregnant women.