الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Pregnancy is a time of increased energy and nutrient needs for a woman in orderto meet the needs of the growing fetus and of maternal tissues associated withpregnancy. The adequate implementation of adequate maternal nutrition will contributeto maternal health improvement, support the reduction of maternal morbidity andmortality, and improve knowledge and healthy skills for the provision of maternal andchild nutritional services at the health facility level.Pregnancy is an important time to increase women’s awareness abouthealthy eating. Pregnant women recognize diet as important to fetal health and are more likelyto be mindful of nutrition, seek health advice, and modify their diets. Nutritionknowledge has been positively associated with maternal dietary behavior and the use of supplements. Pregnant women should be given adequate and nutritious food throughout pregnancy to provide the energy and nutrients needed to gain full weight during
pregnancy, fetal growth, and breast milk production. This will allow for normal physical and mental growth and development in the child by reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high blood pressure during puberty. A quasi-experimental research design was followed to accomplish the aim of the present study, ”assess the effect of nutritional awareness for pregnant women on maternal and neonatal outcomes.” It was partially conducted at Shebin El-Kom(Maternal and Child Health Care Center) (Quebly and Bahary), Menouf City (Maternal and Child Health Care Center), and obstetric clinics in Menouf General Hospital. Theactual fieldwork of the study was conducted for over a period of eight months, starting from the beginning of August 2022 to the end of March 2023, on a purposive sample of80 pregnant women who were enrolled in this study after fulfilling the following inclusion criteria: women at reproductive age (20-35) years old, nulliparous and multiparous, and women who are free from medical disorders because they may have maternal and neonatal complications as a result of their medical disorders.The total sample size was 180 pregnant women, divided into two equal groups: the study group and the control group. The study group (N = 90) received educational intervention about nutrition during pregnancy, while the control group (N = 90) receivethe routine antenatal care at (MCH) centers.
Three instruments were used for the data collection:
Instrument one: A structured interview questionnaire was developed by there searcher after reviewing related literature (Desta et al., 2019). It was used to assess the socio-demographic data, previous and current reproductive history of the studied pregnant women. Instrument two: Knowledge assessment instrument was developed after reviewing related literature (Sunuwar et al., 2019). It was used to assess the level of knowledge regarding healthy nutrition, ingredients of healthy nutrition, nutritional supplements, and integrated meals during pregnancy. Instrument three: The outcome assessment instrument wasused to evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcomes.The results of the study can be summarized in the following ways: There was no statistically significant difference regarding the socio-demographic characteristics, the surgical, family and reproductive history among the study and control groups. Knowledge regarding healthy nutrition, ingredients of healthy nutrition,nutritional supplements and the integrated meal during pregnancy improved postintervention.
Total knowledge scores among the study group were highly improved after the implementation of intervention, from 72.2% of poor knowledge pre-intervention to 100% of good knowledge post-intervention. There was a statistically significant difference between the study and control groups regarding maternal outcomes during and after delivery (p value < 0.05). Women of the study group had less maternal complications during and after delivery than the control goup. There was a statistically significant difference between the study and controlgroups regarding neonatal outcomes (p value < 0.05). Women of the study group had less neonatalcomplications after delivery than
the control group.Based on the present study’s findings, the following can be concluded:Pregnant women who received nutritional awareness intervention during
pregnancy had higher knowledge scores than women who did not receive it. Also, total knowledge scores of the pregnant women after intervention were higher than before. In addition, pregnant women who received nutritional awareness intervention during pregnancy had better maternal outcomes than women who did not receive it.Additionally, pregnant women who received nutritional awareness intervention during pregnancy had better neonatal outcomes than women who did not receive it. The nutritional program sessions were a useful tool for creasing levels of nutrition lawareness.Based on the present study’s findings, the following can be recommended: 1. Continuous monitoring of pregnant women’s nutritional knowledge during each antenatal visit. 2. Screening for nutritional problems, giving health education towards their correction, and screening for a healthy fetus’s conditions in every antenatal visit.3. Educational materials such as posters and pamphlets about specific nutrition during pregnancy should be located in well-visible areas in outpatients’ andprivate clinics.