A study on traditional food practices and taboo during pregnancy and lactation in tribal population of Eastern Gujarat

Abstract

Background: Taboo in a social or religious setting means a custom prohibiting or restricting certain practices. Many foods related myths are common in society which leads to poor pregnancy outcome. It is important to make the community aware about it and educate them regarding this. Being a tribal community, taboos are more prevalent and this was the main aim to do the study regarding food taboos. Study: The type of the study is Qualitative research method; The study was done in a tribal community in the eastern part of Gujarat. The subjects were taken on the basis of convenience sampling. Focus group discussion (FGD) was done and data was generated. The data was recorded in notes and audio recordings, which were further analyzed. Results: The study was conducted in a tribal area with 80 participants. Out of which 37 were pregnant mothers and 43 were mothers with babies aged 0 to 6 months. The most common foods avoided were Papaya, pineapple, chicken, eggs, onion, garlic, eggplant, Jaggery, Guwar, urad daal, and various other food items. Discussion: This study shows that many foods are considered hot and cold and they are restricted during pregnancy and postpartum. There is a strong notion in the community that consumption of certain foods is associated with poor outcomes of pregnancy and the health of the baby. Conclusion: The food taboo followed in these communities can lead to potential nutritional deficiencies which in turn can lead to adverse effects in the child and the mother. A need for education regarding proper nutritional practice is necessary at this level.

Keywords

• customs
• maternal health
• neonatal health
• tribal health