Social Factors Influencing Nutrition Status of Expectant Women Admitted At Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

This study was carried out at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya in 2009. The purpose of the study was to understand social cultural factors that influence maternal nutrition status among women in perinatal period. Thirty-five expectant mothers and five key informants were sampled. Data collection was by way of interviews using structured questionnaires. The study used four main approaches in assessing nutritional status- Anthropometry, which measures the dimension of composition of the human body, Biomarkers- they reflect either nutrient intake or the impact of nutrient intake ( hemoglobin levels were checked), Clinical assessment which ascertains the clinical consequences of imbalanced nutrient intake and, Dietary assessment which estimates food and/or nutrient intake. The researcher used qualified midwives to carry out biomarkers (hemoglobin level test) and clinical assessment of the respondents. The main findings were that, unavailability of money and food preferences were the major factors that influenced food intake more than cultural and religion and that a significant number of the expectant mothers had poor nutrition and were at risk of maternal complications.