Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence and adherence to food taboos associated with pregnancy in the Kasoa-Zongo community. The study employed descriptive cross-sectional survey, specifically, mixed-methods and combination of purposive, snowballing, and convenience sampling methods were used to select 106 respondents for the study. A structured questionnaire, with both closed- and open-ended items were used for data collection and analysed using SPSS version 20 by descriptive and inferential analyses. The results were presented by tables and frequencies. Key findings were that snails, ripe plantains, mushrooms, pork, eggs, mudfish, groundnuts, python, and tortoise formed some of the pregnancy-related tabooed foods avoided by the pregnant women in the study area. Religious belief, foods being spiritually unwholesome, ancestral taboo prevention of miscarriage, deformity, prolonged labour, allergies and depression were some of the major reasons for adhering to food taboos during pregnancy.
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