Dietary Modifications, Hygienic Measures and Physical Activities Adopted by Pregnant Women in South-South Nigeria during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Good food, hygiene and physical activity are among the measures recommended for humans so as to ensure good health, general well being, and to guard against infections. This study focused on dietary modifications, hygienic measures and physical activities adopted by pregnant women in South-South Nigeria during Covid-19 pandemic. It was a Cross-Sectional research design. Multistage sampling method was used to select Edo State out of the six States that constitute South-South Nigeria, and also in the selection of sample size of 144 pregnant women from the primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in Edo State. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire on dietary modifications, hygienic measures and physical activities during Covid-19 pandemic (QDMHMPACP). The reliability of the instrument was conducted using internal consistency test for reliability. The Cronbach alpha yielded coefficient of 0.711. Data collected were analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean and Spearman Rank Order correlation. The result showed that majority of the pregnant women had adequate dietary modifications: high protein = 60.4%, low fat = 57.6%, plenty of vegetables = 93.1%, fruits = 97.2%, and high fluid intake = 93.1%. 93.1% of the respondents used alcohol- based hand sanitizers and 78.5% practiced frequent hand washing. For physical activities, the most practiced exercise was stretching of hands and legs (67.4%), followed by walking exercise (66.0%) while the least exercise practiced was deep breathing exercise (61.8%); 93.8% of the mothers restricted their movements. Significant relationship existed between dietary modifications and hygienic measures (p-value = 0.007). More pregnant women should be encouraged on compliance with these preventive measures through parentcraft education and campaigns in the community by healthcare providers.