Food Taboos and Cultural Beliefs
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Nutritional Beliefs Based on Culture
Based on a study conducted in South Africa on the cultural influences on the dietary choices in pregnant women, it was noted that there was a restriction of intake of most protein food sources. Meat, fish, and eggs, and other crucial food choices were bared based on cultural beliefs that they would lead to problems in labor and child-birth. In the study, 37% of the women reported following the dietary restrictions during pregnancy. The practices were reported to be mainly learnt from the grandmothers and the mothers.
As the nurse, the main aim is to ensure that there is a complete understanding of the cultural beliefs of the people. Ideally, the best way to ensure compliance is to safeguard cultural sensitivity during the education sessions. In this case, the nurse should develop recommendations based on alternative food sources in the region (Chakona, 2019). The aim is to ensure nutritional diversity and compliance to the essential quality and quantity of intake. Intake of food such as whole grains, milk, and juice should be advocated for as per the availability in the community. The nurse educator should also target the elderly women in the education segments. The group constitutes the opinion shapers in the current community and are determinants of how fast the recommendations are adopted. Vegetables can also be recommended as a basic dietary recommendation to the target women. Nutritional supplements should also be recommended. It is crucial for the nurse educator to ensure that the mothers understand the rationale for the choices made at each level of decision making.
References
Chakona, G., & Shackleton, C. (2019). Food taboos and cultural beliefs influence food choice and dietary preferences among pregnant women in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nutrients, 11(11), 2668. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893604/