Food taboos during pregnancy and lactation among tribal population of south India

Anju Damu Ade; K. V. Jyothi Pratheeka; Visweswara Rao Guthi

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20230929

Authors

Anju Damu Ade Department of Community Medicine, SVIMS Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
K. V. Jyothi Pratheeka Department of Community Medicine, SVIMS Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
Visweswara Rao Guthi Department of Community Medicine, SVIMS Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20230929

Keywords:

Food taboos, Tribal population, Pregnancy, Lactation, Socio-demographic profile

Abstract

Background: Good nutrition paves the way for a fair chance in life. Food taboos exist in all the communities and do vary from one community to another. Objectives of current study were to study the socio-demographic profile of the tribal pregnant women, to explore food taboos during pregnancy and lactation among the tribal pregnant women and to assess association between sociodemographic characteristics and food taboo among pregnant women.

Methods: This cross‑sectional study was conducted from July 2022 to August 2022 in tribal area among tribal pregnant women from selected area. They were interviewed for which pre-tested structured format was used. Sample size calculated was 303.SPSS version 26.0 was used to calculate statistics.

Results: 265 (87.4%) study respondents reported that they include certain special food items during pregnancy. 263 (86.7%) respondents reported that they include certain special food items during lactation. 219 (72.3%) pregnant mothers reported that they avoid certain foods during pregnancy while 149 (49.2%) mothers reported that they avoid certain foods during lactation. Educational level, socio-economic status, occupation, type of housing of the study respondents was significantly associated with the avoidance of food items during pregnancy and lactation (food taboo practices).

Conclusions: Study respondent’s cultural belief in food practices are major reason for their avoidance of certain food items during pregnancy and lactation. Nutrition education and awareness will bring behavioural change among these tribal mothers.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

The State of World's Children 2019: Growing well in a changing world. Available at: https://www.unicef. org/india/reports/adolescents-diets-and-nutrition. Accessed on 20 November 2022.

Asi LN, Teri DT, Meyer-Rochow VB. Influence of food taboos on nutritional patterns in rural communities in Cameroon. Int Rev Social Res. 2018; 8(1):2-6.

Park K. Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 19th edn. Jabalpur: M/S Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers; 2007:504.

Chakona G, Shackleton C. Food taboos and cultural beliefs influence food choice and dietary preferences among pregnant women in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nutients. 2019;11(11):2668.

Nutritional care of pregnant women in South Asia: Policy environment and programme action. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/. Accessed on 20 November 2022.

Getnet W, Aycheh W, and Tessema T. Determinants of food taboos in the pregnant women of the Awabel District, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State in Ethiopia. Adv Public Health. 2018;3:1-6.

Naik D, Kasturiba. Food beliefs and taboos among nomadic tribes of North Karnataka. The Pharma Innov J. 2018;7(5):250-2.

Lakshmi G. Food preferences and taboos during ante-natal period among the tribal women of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. J Commu Nutr Health. 2013;2:32-7.

Shomya S. Taboos in food practices during pre and post-natal period: a comparative study between tribal and non- tribal women in Odisha. A Dissertation Submitted to the department of humanities and social sciences, National Institute of Technology. 2015.

Misra R, Jena D, Nanda S. Social taboos and superstitions in food consumption during pre and post-natal period of tribal women in Rayagada district. Pharma Innov J. 2020;9(7):514-7.

Konduru D, Kundargi RG. A brief analysis of food practices and food taboos on women health in Andhra Pradesh, India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019;6(12):5088-94.

Goswami RG, Thakur MB. Folk beliefs of food avoidance and prescription among menstruating and pregnant Karbi women of Kamrup district, Assam. J Ethnic Foods. 2019; 6:1-7.

Patil R, Mittal A, Vedapriya DR, Khan MI. Taboos and misconceptions about food during pregnancy among rural population of Pondicherry. Calicut Med J. 2010; 8(2):4-8.

Joshi A, Kulshrestha K. Factors influencing the exclusion of food during pregnancy in Uttarakhand. J Food Nutr Disor. 2018;7(5):1-5.

Chakrabarti S, Chakrabarti A. Food taboos in pregnancy and early lactation among women living in a rural area of West Bengal. J Family Med Prim Care. 2019;8(1):86-90.

Shwetha TM, Swetha R, Iyengar K, Rani US. Food taboos among pregnant and lactating mothers in Tumkur: a qualitative study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4:1060-5.

Moola S, Tyagi J, Shah P, Nambiar D, Bhaumik S. Harmful Postpartum Beliefs and Practices of Mothers in India: Rapid Evidence Synthesis. Global Health J. 2020;4:23.

Mukhopadhyay S, Sarkar A. Pregnancy-related food habits among women of rural Sikkim, India. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12(12):2317-22.

Bista AP. Cultural Food Practices among Postnatal Women in a Tharu Community of Birgung, Province 2, Nepal. IOSR. 2020;9(4):1-6.

Tela FG, Gebremariam LW, Beyene SA. Food taboos and related misperceptions during pregnancy in Mekelle city, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0239451.

Oluleke MO, Ogunwale AO, Arulogun OS. Dietary intake knowledge and reasons for food restriction during pregnancy among pregnant women attending primary health care centers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Int J Population Stud. 2016;2(1):103-16.