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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1295-2493

Corresponding Author

Smitha MC

Email: smithamc@jssuni.edu.in

Abstract

Introduction: Food faddism and taboos greatly influence pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, etc. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess food taboos and food faddism practiced in the urban and rural field areas of Mysuru.

Methodology: It is a cross-sectional study conducted among antenatal and postnatal women in the Mysuru district, with a sample size of 200 participants. The data was collected using a standardized validated, pre-structured questionnaire. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS V.22. Descriptive statistics like mean, Standard deviation, proportion, etc were used and inferential statistics like chi-square analysis/Fischer exact test were used to know the association of socio-demographic variables with dietary practices of study participants in urban and rural areas.

Results: During the antenatal period in the urban area, 79.3% of study participants followed food taboo and during postnatal period, 82.4% followed taboo. In the rural area, 80.5% of study participants followed food taboo and during postnatal period, 89.3% followed food taboo. During PNC, the association between occupation, number of pregnancies with food taboo were statistically significant. During antenatal period in the urban area, 92.7% of study participants followed food faddism and during postnatal period, 85% followed food faddism. In the rural area, 89.3% of study participants followed food faddism and during postnatal period, 86.4% followed food faddism. In both antenatal and postnatal period, the association between religion, number of pregnancies with food faddism were statistically significant.

Conclusion: More than 3/4th of the study participants practiced food faddism and food taboos during antenatal and post-natal period

Publication Date

2025

Publisher

JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research

Conflict of Interest

None

Keywords

Antenatal, Postnatal, Food taboo, Food faddism Diet, Culture

Word Count

2998

Comments

Nil

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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