ArticleJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine2015
Motivations for food prohibitions during pregnancy and their enforcement mechanisms in a rural Ghanaian district.
Article in Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Cultural and Traditional Dietary Practices Among African Pregnant Women: A Scoping Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- Motivators for Adherence and Drivers of Taboo-Breaking Behaviour Regarding Food Taboos Among Rural Pregnant Women in Bangladesh: Findings From Formative Research.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Nourishing Beginnings: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Food Security and Healthy Diets for the "Forgotten" Pre-School Children in South Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Food taboos among indigenous pregnant women of Khagrachari District, Bangladesh.SAGE open medicine · 2025Article
- Dietary habit and lifestyle of postpartum women in South China: a mixed methods research.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Exploring cultural influences in perinatal and early childhood nutrition.Revista de salud publica (Bogota, Colombia) · 2024Review
- Unravelling taboos and cultural beliefs associated with hidden hunger among pregnant and breast-feeding women in Buyende district Eastern Uganda.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2024Article
- Food taboos and preferences among adolescent girls, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children aged 6-23 months in Mainland Tanzania: A qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Article
- Sociocultural practices and beliefs during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum among indigenous pastoralist women of reproductive age in Manyara, Tanzania: a descriptive qualitative study.BMC women's health · 2023Article
- A qualitative study to explore dietary knowledge, beliefs, and practices among pregnant women in a rural health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2022Article
- Community food beliefs during pregnancy in rural kebeles of Ofla Woreda, Northern Ethiopia: an explorative qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Diversified dietary intake and associated factors among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care follow-up in public health facilities of Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Culture and community perceptions on diet for maternal and child health: a qualitative study in rural northern Ghana.BMC nutrition · 2021Article
- Food-related taboos and misconceptions during pregnancy among rural communities of Illu Aba Bor zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A community based qualitative cross-sectional study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
- Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal.Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine · 2021Article
- Acceptability and feasibility of insect consumption among pregnant women in Liberia.Maternal & child nutrition · 2020Article
- Social circumstances and cultural beliefs influence maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and child feeding practices in South Africa.Nutrition journal · 2020Article
- Food taboos and related misperceptions during pregnancy in Mekelle city, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.PloS one · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFood taboos are known from virtually all human societies and pregnant women have often been targeted. We qualitatively assessed food taboos during pregnancy, its motivating factors, and enforcement mechanisms in the Upper Manya Krobo district of Ghana.
methodsThis was an exploratory cross sectional study using qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs). Sixteen FGDs were conducted. Participants were purposively selected using the maximum variation sampling technique. Tape recorded FGDs were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Malterudian systematic text condensation technique.
resultsAll the participants were aware of the existence of food prohibitions and beliefs targeting pregnant women in Upper Manya Krobo. The study identified snails, rats, hot foods, and animal lungs as tabooed during pregnancy. Adherence motivators included expectation of safe and timely delivery, avoidance of "monkey babies" (deformed babies); respect for ancestors, parents, and community elders. Enforcement mechanisms identified included constant reminders by parents, family members and significant others. Stigmatization and community sanctions are deployed sparingly.
conclusionsFood taboos and traditional beliefs targeting pregnant women exist in Upper Manya Krobo. Pregnant women are forbidden from eating snails, rats, snakes, hot foods and animal lungs. To a large extent, socio-cultural, and to a lesser, health concerns motivate the practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.