The Sociocultural in Food Selection Among Pregnant Women with Chronic Energy Deficiency: A Qualitative Study

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-406-8_8How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sociocultural; Food Selection; Pregnant Women; Chronic Energy Deficiency

Abstract

Maternal health is a key indicator in assessing the quality of a country's healthcare services, particularly in the context of achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Chronic energy deficiency (CED) among pregnant women is a prevalent public health issue in developing countries, including Indonesia. Recent data reveal that the prevalence of CED in Indonesia, particularly in Bantul Regency, increased from 9.79% in 2018 to 12.10% in 2022, highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue. In Indonesia, culture and social values strongly influence health behaviors, including food choices. In rural areas, social and cultural norms, such as patriarchal practices, dictate food distribution within families, often prioritizing husbands and children over pregnant women.

This study examines the sociocultural factors that influence food selection among pregnant women with CED in Bantul Regency using qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Participants included pregnant women, their husbands, and healthcare providers selected through purposive sampling. The findings indicate that cultural norms, such as food taboos and traditional dietary practices, economic limitations, and limited access to nutritious food exacerbate poor dietary habits among pregnant women with CED. For instance, traditional food practices often conflict with modern nutritional guidelines, as pregnant women are advised to avoid nutrient-rich foods like eggs, seafood, and certain fruits due to cultural beliefs.

Additionally, pregnant women are often unaware of the importance of adequate nutrition, and patriarchal norms lead them to consume smaller or less nutritious portions of food, posing significant health risks for both mother and child. These findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive nutrition education programs that involve entire families and communities. Such interventions should aim to address food taboos, improve awareness of balanced nutrition, and promote equitable food distribution to reduce the prevalence of CED and improve maternal health outcomes.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Nining Tunggal Sri Sunarti
AU  - Sri Sulistyowati
AU  - Ismi Dwi Asuti Nurhaeni
AU  - Retno Setyowati
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/22
TI  - The Sociocultural in Food Selection Among Pregnant Women with Chronic Energy Deficiency: A Qualitative Study
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Multidisciplinary Studies (ICoMSi 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 89
EP  - 99
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-406-8_8
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-406-8_8
ID  - Sunarti2025
ER  -