Food taboos among rural women have been identified as one of the factors contributing to maternal under nutrition in pregnancy. Pregnant and lactating women in various parts of the world are forced to abstain from nutritious and beneficial foods. The avoidance of certain food items and incorrect knowledge regarding their benefits can deprive women from adequate nutrition, especially during the critical periods of pregnancy when it is of great benefit to the mother and her fetus. Major reasons given by the women as to why they avoid some foods include fear of difficult delivery, fear of abortions and dark complexion of the baby. Keeping this as background we have taken up the study on food taboos prevailing among pregnant and lactating women in rural area of Gulbarga.

1. ESIC MEDICAL COLLEGE & Hospital
SEDAM ROAD KALABURAGI - 565106
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
FOOD TABOOS DURING ANTENATAL AND
LACTATIONAL PERIOD AMONG WOMEN
OF RURAL AREA OF KORWAR, GULBARGA
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
DR. SANTOSH
(Asst. Prof., Dept. of Community Medicine)
PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS
MERIN EMANUEL K (16M2736)
C AISWARYA RAJ(16M2713)
CHAITHRA(16M2716)
KARTHIK(16M2724)
GARIMA(16M2717)
MALLIKARJUN(16M2731)
KAVERI(16M2725)

2. CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that “FOOD TABOOS DURING ANTENATAL
AND LACTATIONAL PERIOD AMONG WOMEN OF RURAL
AREA OF KORWAR, GULBARGA” was done by a team of students
of 2016 – 2017 batch during field posting from 11th
February to 28th
February 2019 in Department of Community Medicine.
DR. I. AMRITHA SWATHI
Prof & HOD
Dept. of Community Medicine
DATE:
DR. SANTOSH
Asst. Prof.
Dept. of Community Medicine

3. SL. NO CONTENTS PG. NO.
1 Acknowledgement
2 Certificate
3 Introduction
4 Aim & Objectives
5 Materials & Methodology
6 Review of literature
7 Results
8 Discussion
9 Summary
10 Limitations
11 Conclusion
12 Recommendations
13 Bibliography
14 Annexure - Performa

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We thank department of community medicine and staff
for giving this opportunity to carry out this research
project.
We show our greatest gratitude to DR. I. AMRITHA SWATHI
Prof & HOD, Dept. of Community Medicine.
We also like to thank Dr. Santosh, Asst. Prof., for his
support and guidance to successfully complete this
project.
We express our gratitude to the study participants of
Korwar for their cooperation throughout the study.

5. INTRODUCTION
Food taboos among rural women have been identified as
one of the factors contributing to maternal under nutrition
in pregnancy. Pregnant and lactating women in various
parts of the world are forced to abstain from nutritious and
beneficial foods.
The avoidance of certain food items and incorrect
knowledge regarding their benefits can deprive women
from adequate nutrition, especially during the critical
periods of pregnancy when it is of great benefit to the
mother and her fetus.
Major reasons given by the women as to why they avoid
some foods include fear of difficult delivery, fear of
abortions and dark complexion of the baby.
Keeping this as background we have taken up the study on
food taboos prevailing among pregnant and lactating
women in rural area of Gulbarga.

6. AIMS & OBJECTIVES
AIM
• To find the food taboos practiced during antenatal and
lactational period among women in rural area.
OBJECTIVE
• To examine the existing food practices during antenatal
and postnatal period towards mother and child health
among women.
• To study the beliefs, practices and superstitions towards
food intake during antenatal and lactating period.

7. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
• The study was conducted in rural area that of Korwar
(field practice area, ESIC Medical College, Gulbarga,
Karnataka). The study was conducted from 11th
February
to 28th
February 2019.
• It was a cross sectional study and was taken through
pretest questionnaire. Data was collected by house to
house survey from 100 women which included both
pregnant and lactating women of the age group 18 to 30.
• Data was collected on the basis of food which is avoided
in pregnancy and lactation.

8. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In a study dine in Tumkur, all most all women under the study
followed some form of restrictive diet. Many nutritive and
locally available foods were avoided which includes fruits,
vegetables, pulses and green leafy vegetables. Special foods
rich in energy were consumed during post-partum period.
Concept of hot and cold food is prevailing high and there was
no scientific reasoning given for the taboo. Anganwadi workers
who are front line health workers were believed in the many of
the food taboos.
In another study carried out in Tamil Nadu showed that 89%
believed that there is an effect of food on pregnancy and
lactation, 11% did not. Despite of high literacy rate (75%) there
are certain strong, food beliefs regarding pregnancy and
lactation which have been practiced by pregnant ladies and
lactating mothers which were affecting their food intake.
Meanwhile, the study in West Bengal says taboos were present
regarding consumption of various fruits (banana, papaya,
jackfruit, coconut), vegetables (brinjal, leafy vegetables), meat,
fish, and eggs during pregnancy. These were followed mainly
to prevent miscarriage, promote easy delivery, and prevent fetal
malformations. Taboos in the lactation included avoidance of
small fish, foods with multiple seeds, other “cold” foods, and
fluid restriction in some areas. The taboos were followed
spontaneously as the inhibitions were imposed only for a
definite period.

9. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
TABLE I : SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS
(TABLES)

10. DISCUSSION
In our study done in Korwar, 94.1% illiterate women doesn’t
consume papaya during pregnancy in comparison to 89.3%
literate women.
Study done in Pondicherry revealed 91.3% illiterate women
avoided papaya during pregnancy in comparison to 83.9%
literate women.
Similarly, 82% women in Tamil Nadu, 53% in Gujarat have the
same concept about Papaya. It is also seen as an abortifacient
in Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.
In our study 17% women avoid pineapple as they believe it
causes miscarriage. A study done in Tamil Nadu showed that
67% women avoided pineapple. Many perceived it as a hot
food in areas of South India.

11. SUMMARY
A food taboo is a prohibition against consuming certain
foods. The restrictions imposed on people forces them to
abstain from certain food and drinking items as these
things are embedded into the cultural and religious
threads.
Keeping this as background we have taken up the study on
food taboos prevailing among pregnant and lactating
women in rural area of Gulbarga.
A cross sectional study was conducted and data was
collected from house to house by questionnaire method.
The study showed that many women followed some kind
of food restriction due to misbeliefs.
Papaya, Banana, Twin banana, hot beverages were the
most common among them. The practices were found
prevailing mostly among illiterate women.
Larger proportion of women still believes in old
unscientific tales. With increase in literacy status such
taboos/misconceptions can be removed. There is a need
for nutrition education and awareness generation among
women.

12. LIMITATIONS
Study area covered was small.The cause and effect relationship
was not established in the study.

13. CONCLUSION
This study revealed that food taboos and misconception
governing pregnancy and lactation prevailing in Korwar
village. Women in this study area were avoiding specific
food items due to cultural and traditional views. The
illiterate women were the more likely to observe more
food taboos. This condition possibly be enhanced by
nutritional counselling programs.

14. RECOMMENDATIONS
Maternal and child health hospital and PHC have to play
a foremost role in coordinating this effort of awareness
creation. They should also set a counselling method
regularly to identify women observing food taboos and
provide suitable nutritional education.
The customary background influences woman behavior
during pregnancy. As a result, a lot of awareness needs to
be spread in areas regarding the basic nutritional
requirements of pregnant and postpartum women.

15. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• K. Kouser Banu. Food taboos during antenatal and
postpartum period among women of rural and
urban areas of Tamil Nadu 2016; 7(8): 393 – 396.
• Abhik Chakrabarti. Food taboos in pregnancy and
early lactation among women living in rural area
of West Bengal. J Family Med Prim Care; 2019: 86
– 90.
• Swetha T M. Food taboos among pregnant and
lactating mothers in Tumkur. Int J Community
Med Public Health 2017; 4: 1060 – 5.
• K Park. Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social
Medicine. Edition 25. India: Bhanot Publishers
2019.

16. ANNEXURE – PROFORMA
EDUCATION
SL. NO CATEGORY RANGE
1 PRIMARY SCHOOL 1 – 4
2 MIDDLE 5 – 7
3 HIGH SCHOOL 8 – 10
4 GRADUATE Any degree
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ( B G PRASAD)
SL. NO CATEGORY RANGE
1 CLASS I 6574 & above
2 CLASS II 3287 – 6573
3 CLASS III 1972 – 3286
4 CLASS IV 986 – 1971
5 CLASS V 985 & below