Ethnocultural Foods and Contextual Embeddedness: An Appraisal of an Indigenous Optimal Diet for Pregnant and Lactating Ndau Women in Zimbabwe

Dietary intake plays a quintessential role in the health and well-being of pregnant and lactating women. Commonly, maternal dietary deficiencies result in negative health outcomes for the mother, the foetus, and the infant. Within indigenous communities, socio-cultural beliefs and practices have a direct influence on the dietary intake of pregnant and lactating women. These dictate the dietary uptake as well as behaviours and taboos associated with pregnancy and lactation. Through the adoption of a qualitative digitally mediated research method, the study sought to explore Ndau ethnocultural food practices recommended for pregnant and lactating women. The research sample comprised 39 Ndau women between the ages of 24 and 77. The study’s findings revealed the importance of the adoption and observance of a recommended ethnocultural diet for pregnant and lactating women. Such a diet is inclusive of indigenous leafy vegetables and cereals, which command a high level of micronutrients required for the health and well-being of pregnant and lactating women. Additionally, within Ndau culture, elderly women within the family are tasked with being family dieticians whose duty is to ensure adherence to an optimal indigenous diet as well as observance of beliefs and practices associated with pregnancy and lactation.