Abstract
INTRODUCTION: the objective of this study is to examine dietary habits and certain cooking practices, evaluating their influence on the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women and exploring other factors associated with anemia in Morocco, specifically in the province of Sidi Kacem. METHODS: the research utilized a survey conducted over a one-year duration, spanning from August 01, 2018, to August 01, 2019, employing a cross-sectional, and analytical methodology. The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women was determined based on complete blood count tests, using hemoglobin (Hb) levels and World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds. An anonymous structured questionnaire was used to assess the dietary practices of the participants. The impact of these practices on anemia was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26. RESULTS: the anemia rate among pregnant women in the province of Sidi Kacem was 43.03%. The findings of the binary logistic regression analysis revealed a statistical association between anemia, the main sources of iron in the diet, the frequency of consumption of caffeine-containing beverages (tea, coffee) with meals, the use of specific cooking techniques that could influence the iron content of foods, and the daily diet. CONCLUSION: the prevalence of nutritional challenges in Morocco poses a barrier to human development and enhanced health outcomes. A comprehensive understanding of the severity of these deficiencies is imperative for tailoring interventions that are contextually relevant to each region within the country.