Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The restriction and limitation of nutritious and easily accessible foods, due to food taboos, is a significant contributor to malnutrition in pregnant women. However, this issue remains largely unexplored in Ethiopia. Therefore this study aimed to explore foods tabooed for pregnant women and related contexts to the foods taboo that exists in the Afar region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out inductively between March to April 2023. The participants were chosen purposively, and written informed consent was obtained. Focus group discussions were held with two pregnant women, one male elderly, and one female elderly. The data from these discussions were cross-checked by conducting in-depth interviews with eight key informants. The discussions and interviews were recorded using audio tapes, transcribed verbatim, and then imported into Atlas. ti 9 software for coding. The analysis was conducted inductively, and triangulation and peer debriefing were employed to ensure data quality. RESULTS: The findings of the study revealed that pregnant women adhered to several food taboos throughout their pregnancy, including avoiding excessive consumption of any type of food, fatty foods such as meat, milk, and yogurt, solid foods including all forms of bread, and cool/cold foods such as cold milk, cold meat, and cold water. CONCLUSIONS: In the Afar region, pregnant women avoid consuming various available foods due to cultural taboos. Further study is recommended to investigate the extent of these food taboos and gain a better understanding of their cultural practice.