Undernutrition Among Pregnant Women in an Urban Municipality in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Despite efforts to address malnutrition, it remains prevalent in Ghana and other developing nations. High rates of malnutrition hinder the achievement of the health-related sustainable development goals. Understanding the factors contributing to undernutrition among pregnant women (PW) is essential for developing targeted interventions. This study, therefore, aims to assess the prevalence of undernutrition, dietary diversity (DD), and predictors of undernutrition among PW in Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Methods: Two hospitals within the Effutu Municipality were recruited for the study. The study was conducted among 301 PW (15-49 years) recruited through simple random sampling from September 20, 2022, to October 24, 2022. The mid-upper arm circumference and minimum DD score for women were used as a proxy for undernutrition and DD, respectively. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and binary regression analysis were conducted to describe variables and identify the association between dependent and independent variables. Results: The majority of the respondents (40.5%) were in the age range of 26-30 years and were single (53.2%). The prevalence of undernutrition was 9.3%, while 7.6% of the respondents had poor DD scores. Factors identified to be associated with undernutrition were DD score (OR = 15.244, 95% CI: 5.399-43.040), employment status (OR = 3.311, 95% CI: 1.075-10.195), and parity (OR = 2.903, 95% CI: 1.125-7.492). Conclusion: Effutu Municipality in Ghana faces a moderate prevalence of undernutrition among PW, despite generally adequate DD. Targeted interventions focusing on improving DD, particularly among unemployed and multiparous women, are essential for addressing undernutrition and improving maternal and fetal health outcomes in the study area. These findings underscore the importance of context-specific strategies to combat malnutrition among PW.