NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE AMONG EXPECTANT MOTHERS
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATE LITERATURE
This chapter contains the summary of the review of the related literature form text books, journals, magazines and periodicals; and is presented under the following headings:
- Concept of nutrition and adequate nutrition
- Concept of pregnancy
- Nutritional needs and knowledge in pregnancy
- Nutritional practices in pregnancy
- Empirical studies on the relationship between nutrition and pregnancy
- Empirical studies on the use of nutritional supplements.
- Effects of weight-gain in pregnancy.
- Considerations in determining nutritional needs in pregnancy
- Summary of the review of related literature.
Concept of Nutrition and adequate nutrition.
Nutrition according to Levy, Digman and Shirrefs (1984), Danatelle and Davis (1998) and Okafor (2002), means the study of food and the process of receiving nourishment from the food we eat after digestion and metabolism. According to them, the body needs food to build new tissues and to repair tissues that wear out as a result of hard work or play. They added that it serves as fuel, gives us energy to work and play and keep our bodies warm. People’s physical and mental development and their capacity to learn, work and play their roles in society are wholly dependent on nutrition (Levy et al 1984)
Williams (1981) explained that nourishing foods helps organisms to sustain physical life such as in breathing, working, resting, plying and sleeping. But because human beings are much more than mere biological organisms, according to Williams, food had many meanings to them other than simply physical substance. However, he maintained that sustenance could be fully obtainable when nutrition was adequate.
The world book encyclopedia (WBE) on health (1966) explained further that well nourished persons have strong bones, muscles, teeth and healthy skin and blood.According to WBE, they felt good, had enough for their activities and appear radiant and vigorous. Also, the food and agricultural organization (FAO, 1992) address to the international conference on nutrition (FAO, 1992) states that people’s health, their physical and mental development and their capacity to learn, work and play their roles in the society were wholly dependent on good nutrition.
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