Prevalence and Factors Associated with Undernutrition Among Pregnant Women in Lamwo District Northern Uganda

Background: Maternal undernutrition is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women. While undernutrition is a common problem in Uganda, the magnitude of undernutrition especially among pregnant women in a post-conflict area where food may be scarce has not been documented. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among pregnant women in Lamwo District, Northern Uganda. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in four health facilities in Lamwo District in Northern Uganda from January, 3 rd 2019 to February, 2 nd 2019. A total of 522 pregnant women were consecutively enrolled into the study. A Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of ≤23cm was used as a cutoff for undernutrition. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. We used descriptive statistics to understand the socio-demographic characteristics of the pregnant mothers and their nutrition status. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine factors independently associated with undernutrition. Statistical significance was considered at a p-value of < 0.05. Results: : In this study, most 402 (77.01%) of the participants were 20-35 years of age, slightly more than half 270 (51.72%) had attained secondary or tertiary education, most 422 (80.84%) were married, and 367 (70.31%) had at least two meals a day. The prevalence of undernutrition was 8.6% [95% CI (6.4%, 11.4%)]. Single mothers were 4.2 times more likely to be undernourished compared to married women [OR= 4.24, 95%CI (1.73, 10.35)]. Women who had three or more meals were 86 percent less likely to be undernourished compared to those who had one meal [OR=0.14, 95% CI (0.02, 0.78)]. Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women in Lamwo, a rural post conflict district in Northern Uganda was 8.6 percent. Spousal support and having a diversified diet at least three times daily might reduce undernutrition among pregnant women.