Experiences with nutrition-related information during antenatal care of pregnant women of different ethnic backgrounds residing in the area of Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Objective: to explore experiences with nutrition-related information during routine antenatal care among women of different ethnical backgrounds. Design: individual interviews with seventeen participants were conducted twice during pregnancy. Data collection and analysis were inspired by an interpretative phenomenological approach. Setting: participants were purposively recruited at eight Mother and Child Health Centres in the area of Oslo, Norway, where they received antenatal care. Participants: participants had either immigrant backgrounds from African and Asian countries (n¼12) or were ethnic Norwegian (n¼5). Participants were pregnant with their first child and had a pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index above 25 kg/m2. Findings: participants experienced that they were provided with little nutrition-related information in antenatal care. The information was perceived as presented in very general terms and focused on food safety. Weight management and the long-term prevention of diet-related chronic diseases had hardly been discussed. Participants with immigrant backgrounds appeared to be confused about information given by the midwife which was incongruent with their original food culture. The participants were actively seeking for nutrition-related information and had to navigate between various sources of information. Conclusions: the midwife is considered a trustworthy source of nutrition-related information. Therefore, antenatal care may have considerable potential to promote a healthy diet to pregnant women. Findings suggest that nutrition communication in antenatal care should be more tailored towards women’s dietary habits and cultural background, nutritional knowledge as well as level of nutrition literacy.