Assessment of the Nutritional Status and Eating Habits of Pregnant Women in Rural Areas (Case of the City of Man)

Diet is an important factor for the smooth running of pregnancy and the growth of the fetus. It is the most decisive if a good adequacy of food intake to needs is respected. During our study, 90 pregnant women were interviewed in the city of Man. This is a qualitative study whose variables included in the survey are social status, professional and cultural status, state of health, food consumption, food habits, food restrictions. The results of the survey revealed that the majority of the women surveyed, i.e. 53.33%, were between 20 and 29 years old, 40 % of them were between 15 and 19 years old and only 6.67 % had the between 30 and 33 years old. The percentage of women with a normal BMI (Body Mass Index) is 76.67 % and those with overweight have a rate equivalent to 16.67%. The results of eating habits reveal that 70 % of pregnant women consume fruit and 30% do not. Regarding vegetables, 93% consume them and 7% do not consume them. The results of the survey revealed that 3.33% of respondents respect the PNNS recommendation (consume 3 meals a day) but 96.67% consume more than three meals a day, which can lead to risks of obesity. All these results describe that the food ration of the women surveyed in the city of Man is rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins, only the number of meals consumed by these women is higher than normal. This may be due to women's lack of awareness regarding diet during pregnancy. Poor consumption of a balanced diet could lead to poor weight gain during pregnancy, increasing the risk of premature delivery, low birth weight and birth defects.