Health Communication for Maternal Dietary Behaviour: Critical Perspectives on Indian Practices and Interventions

Health communication is Health essential in promoting maternal nutrition and influencing dietary behaviours during pregnancy. This paper explores how various communication strategies informative, educative, persuasive, and prompting, impact pregnant women’s nutritional awareness. It highlights the importance of campaigns, interpersonal counselling, and media (TV, radio, digital platforms) in spreading accurate health information. Poor maternal diet, malnutrition, and rising obesity are linked to adverse fetal outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm delivery. Socioeconomic and cultural factors significantly influence dietary practices, especially in low-income regions. Government and NGO interventions like ICDS and UNICEF’s initiatives have aimed to improve maternal nutrition. The study stresses the role of midwives and antenatal care in providing personalized nutrition advice. Digital tools like mobile apps and social media have expanded health communication but face access disparities. Health communication must be culturally sensitive and use simple, clear messages. A multi-channel approach is crucial to achieve behavioural change and reduce maternal mortality.