Nutritional Knowledge and Adherence to Folic Acid Intake among Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Ibrahim Taiwo Primary Health Centre, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Adequate folic acid intake before and during pregnancy is important for maternal and foetal health. However, nutritional knowledge may not consistently translate into adherence to supplementation. This study assessed nutritional knowledge and adherence to folic acid intake among women attending the antenatal clinic at Ibrahim Taiwo Primary Health Centre, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study involved 240 antenatal clinic attendees recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic and pregnancy-related characteristics, nutritional knowledge, adherence and perceived influencing factors. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test were used for analysis, with statistical significance assessed at the 5% level. Results: Overall, 197 respondents (82.1%) demonstrated good nutritional knowledge, whereas 116 (48.3%) were classified as adherent and 124 (51.7%) as non-adherent. Although 126 respondents (52.5%) reported knowing the recommended dosage, 102 (42.5%) identified 400 µg daily. Agreement concerning pregnancy-related health beliefs ranged from 59.6% to 78.4%, with perceived benefits receiving the highest agreement. Nutritional knowledge was not significantly associated with adherence (χ² = 0.879, p = .35). Conclusion: Good nutritional knowledge was common, but fewer than half of the respondents met the study's adherence criterion. The findings suggest that antenatal counselling should address reported knowledge gaps alongside behavioural and contextual factors relevant to regular folic acid intake.