Dietary Diversity, Iron Intake and Anemia among Pregnant Women in Embu County, Kenya

Abstract

Iron deficiency anemia has been described as one of the most common nutritional deficiency during pregnancy. Dietary diversification has been described as an important food based strategy to meet iron need and involves the consumption of different types of foods from different food groups. Most pregnant women may have inadequate iron intake when their diet lack diversity and are dominated by staple starchy foods. There is minimal information on dietary diversity, iron intake and hemoglobin levels among pregnant women in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to establish dietary diversity, iron intake and hemoglobin levels among pregnant women in Embu County. The study adopted a cross-sectional analytical design with a sample of 172 systematically sampled pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Embu level 5 hospitals in Embu County. Iron intake data was collected by use of 24-hour dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire.