Food and Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Reproductive-age Women in Marginalized Areas in Sri Lanka
Open Access
- 4 June 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Vol. 17 (11), 3985
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113985
Abstract
Nutrient deficiencies are a public health problem in Sri Lanka. Achieving food security is a major challenge due to unhealthy eating patterns. The nutritional status of a woman and her knowledge is a powerful indicator of the nutritional security of her children and household food security. Nutrition-related knowledge and attitude are necessary for dietary changes towards a healthier dietary pattern. For that reason, food and nutrition-related Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) is one of the key factors to achieving household food and nutritional security. The main objective of this study is to assess the food and nutrition-related KAP among reproductive-age women and understanding of household food and nutritional security in Sri Lanka as an example for marginalized societies. Thus, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using the KAP model questionnaire administered on 400 reproductive age women (18–49 Years) in marginalized areas in Sri Lanka. Data were collected using a random sampling method. The research results clearly showed that the reproductive age women have a low level of nutritional knowledge in the areas being investigated. Most women have a positive attitude towards receiving nutritional knowledge but have low-level practice about a healthy diet. Furthermore, knowledge, practices, and attitudes of women largely affect their BMI status, as well as household food security. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influential factors. There was a highly significant positive correlation between nutritional knowledge, attitude score, and BMI level and a significant difference was found in the area, age, family size, monthly income, educational level, attitudes towards nutrition, food and nutrition practices across the reproductive women (R2: 467, p < 0.01). The research results showed that KAP largely determines women’s nutrition and household food security. Based on the results of this research, there is a need to enhance nutritional education in reproductive-age women in marginalized areas in Sri Lanka.Keywords
Funding Information
- Universität Kassel (08102016)
- Verein zur Förderung einer natur- und sozialverträglichen Ernährungs- und Landschaftskultur e.V in Germany (24122019, 01102018)
This publication has 67 references indexed in Scilit:
- Healthy eating attitudes and healthy living: An examination of the relationship between attitudes, food choices and lifestyle behaviours in a representative sample of Irish adultsProceedings Of The Nutrition Society, 2013
- Are Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Associated with Obesity among Low-Income Hispanic and African American Women Caretakers?Journal of Obesity, 2013
- Behavior, nutrition and lifestyle in a comprehensive health and disease paradigm: skills and knowledge for a predictive, preventive and personalized medicineEPMA Journal, 2012
- Food insecurity: special considerations for womenThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011
- An Assessment of Intra-household Allocation of Food: A Case Study of the Urban Poor in KandySri Lankan Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2011
- Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Self-Reported Pregravid Weight Status, Gestational Weight Gain, and Pregnancy ComplicationsJournal of the American Dietetic Association, 2010
- Position of the American Dietetic Association, American Society for Nutrition, and Society for Nutrition Education: Food and Nutrition Programs for Community-Residing Older AdultsJournal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2010
- Food Insecurity Is Associated with Chronic Disease among Low-Income NHANES ParticipantsJournal of Nutrition, 2010
- Maternal and child undernutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequencesThe Lancet, 2008
- Do We Practice What We Preach? A Review of Actual Clinical Practice with Regards to Preconception Care GuidelinesMaternal and Child Health Journal, 2006