Self-Reported Understanding and Perception of Balanced Nutrition Among Pregnant Women in Sungai Pinang District, Bungo, Indonesia

Background: Balanced nutrition during pregnancy is an important factor in maintaining maternal health and supporting optimal fetal growth and development, while nutritional problems such as anemia, chronic energy deficiency (CED), and low birth weight (LBW) remain public health challenges.This study aimed to describe the self-reported understanding and perception of balanced nutrition among pregnant women in Sungai Pinang District, Bungo Regency Method: A quantitative descriptive study with a cross-sectional design was conducted on 17–24 June 2026. All 41 pregnant women registered in the study area were recruited through total sampling, and all completed the questionnaire (100% response rate). Data were collected using a structured 35-item questionnaire developed by the authors, with a four-point Likert scale (strongly agree = 4, agree = 3, hesitant = 2, disagree = 1). Items covered six domains: knowledge of balanced nutrition, self-reported dietary behavior, supplement adherence, health-worker guidance, and self-reported maternal and fetal health. Item scores were categorized using equal-interval classification (2.50–3.24 good; 3.25–4.00 very good). Reliability testing yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.914. Data were analyzed descriptively (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations). Item mean scores ranged from 2.93 to 3.90. The highest mean (3.90; SD 0.30) concerned knowledge of the importance of nutritious food during pregnancy, while the lowest (2.93; SD 0.88) concerned self-reported fatigue. Result: Overall, 49.3% of responses were "strongly agree" and 46.1% "agree". At the domain level, knowledge of balanced nutrition scored highest (mean 3.70; SD 0.24; very good), whereas self-reported maternal health scored lowest (mean 3.16; SD 0.47; good). Conclusion: Pregnant women in Sungai Pinang District reported generally favorable understanding and perception of balanced nutrition. These findings reflect self-reported perceptions rather than measured dietary practice or clinical outcomes; continuous nutrition education by health workers is recommended to translate positive perceptions into actual dietary behavior.