FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST NUTRITIONAL PRACTICES AMONG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE AT SELECTED PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS IN OGBOMOSO NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Nutrition throughout the life cycle has a major impact on health. Optimal dietary practice is a critical requisite for maternal nutrition as pregnancy is said to be the most nutritionally demanding period. This study therefore aimed at determining factors militating against nutritional practices among women of childbearing age at selected Primary Health Centers in Ogbomosho North Local Government. Convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 216 respondents. A predesigned self-structured questionnaire was used as instrument of data collection. The responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics (Frequency, table and graphical representation) and association between categorical variables was tested by chi square test. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents 109(50.5%) were between the ages of 20-29 years. 90(41.7%) agreed that they improve their diet during pregnancy. Most of the respondents 109(50.5%) agreed that they eat adequate diet daily. The study concluded that more than half of the respondents have good knowledge and less than half of the respondents have poor knowledge of nutritional intake. More than half of the respondents have good practice and less than half of the respondents have poor nutritional practice. The factors militating against nutritional practices as indicated by majority of the respondents are; Religion, Vomiting when they eat certain food and Emotional stress. The study recommends that authorities should facilitate the community’s access to information on nutrition including eating-practices sanitation; initiate a health and development program during pregnancy that will broaden their knowledge on Nutrition. Keywords: Factors Militating, Nutritional Practice, Primary Health Care Centers, Women of Childbearing Age Word Counts: 255 words