Nutritional beliefs among pregnant Nigerian Women.

One hundred fourteen low-income women in their second trimester of pregnancy were asked to list the food items they thought were good and those to be avoided during pregnancy. Energy-giving food items (starches) were considered good most often, while easily available protective (vegetables and fruits) and body-building food items (proteins) were infrequently mentioned or avoided for cultural, religious or health reasons. Nearly three quarters of the women did not gain enough to meet the recommended weekly weight gain; 24.6% lost weight. Traditional beliefs rather than the more frequently cited reasons of poverty and nonavailability of foods are seen as major factors limiting the quality of diet among the respondents.