THE DETERMINANTS OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: A TRANSCULTURAL NURSING APPROACH

Background: A pregnant woman's nutritional status, which is a significant factor in maternal mortality, is influenced by various socio-economic and demographic factors, including her education, occupation, family income, number of children, and family structure. Objective: To determine the factors related to the nutritional status of pregnant women based on transcultural nursing theory in Punjab, Pakistan Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the factors influencing nutritional status in pregnant women at Gangaram Teaching Hospital, Lahore. A total of 104 pregnant women were selected using consecutive sampling, and data was collected through questionnaires and MUAC measurements. The study examined the relationship between various independent variables (technological, religious, family support, cultural values, political & legal, economic, and educational factors) and the dependent variable (incidence of nutritional status). The data was analyzed using the Spearman rho test to identify correlations between the variables. Results: The study revealed a significant correlation between various factors and the nutritional status of pregnant women. Specifically, technological factors, family support, cultural values, political and legal factors, economic factors, and educational factors all showed a significant relationship with nutritional status. The strongest correlation was found with cultural values (r=0.702), followed by family support (r=0.379), political and legal factors (r=0.387), technological factors (r=0.332), educational factors (r=0.228), and economic factors (r=0.212). These findings indicate that these factors play a crucial role in determining the nutritional status of pregnant women, highlighting the importance of addressing these factors to improve maternal nutrition. Conclusion: The study concludes that technological, family support, cultural values, political and legal, economic, and educational factors are significantly associated with the nutritional status of pregnant women, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to improve maternal nutrition.