Abstract
This study focused on the socio-demographic determinants of malnutrition
among pregnant women accessing antenatal care services in Enugu State.
Specially, it determined the characteristics of pregnant women accessing
antenatal care services and determinants of malnutrition based on their body
mass index. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the
study. Survey research design was used. The population comprised all
registered pregnant women in Enugu State. Multi-stage sampling involving
other various sampling techniques was employed to select 400 registered
pregnant women attending antenatal services at health facilities in Enugu
State. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Five experts
validated the instrument. Cronbach alpha formula was used to determine the
internal consistency of the instrument. A reliability coefficient of .79 was
obtained. Frequencies, percentages and logistic regression were used for data
analysis. Findings revealed, among others, that income level, family size, and
child spacing were significant socio-demographic determinants of
malnutrition among pregnant women in Enugu State. Based on these
findings, the study recommended, among others, that: nutrition education
programmes of the ante-natal clinics should be revised to accentuate
malnutrition and its attendant consequences among the pregnant women,
family planning should be encouraged to reduce the significant impact of
family size on nutrition of pregnant women and their families, adequate child
spacing should be encouraged in order to improve maternal health.