Prevalence of food aversions, cravings and pica during pregnancy and their association with nutritional status of pregnant women in Dale Woreda, Sidama zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia
Abstract Food aversions, cravings and pica during pregnancy are commonly known all over the world. They are documented starting from long period of time, and their prevalence varies from 50 to 90% of pregnant women. Although pica behavior is practiced globally, it is more prevalent within African countries. To know prevalence of these practices and their association with nutritional status of pregnant women, community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 605 pregnant women in Dale Woreda, Sidama zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPRS), Ethiopia. Two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select a representative sample. Statistical analysis was carried out using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The logistic regression and multiple linear regressions were carried out. From the total study participants, 67.9% of pregnant women were avoiding at least one food during their pregnancy period. Since food ave