The prevalence of malnutrition and its association with pregnancy outcome among pregnant women in Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2016

Background: Malnutrition in both its forms of obesity and underweight, particularly in pregnant women, cause maternal mortality and ‎prenatal complications.‎ The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among pregnant women and its effect on‏ ‏pregnancy outcome, in Rafsanjan, Iran, in 2016.‎ Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 839 pregnant women referred to Niknafs and Ali-Ebn Abitaleb ‎ Hospitals in 2016. The subjects were selected by ‎census method. Data [age, pregnancy age, ‎pre-gestational height and weight, and body mass index (BMI)] were collected in the emergency ward and recorded in a checklist. Information on the type of delivery (normal or ‎cesarean section), and the neonate’s gender, weight, height, and head circumference at birth were collected in the ‎maternity ward. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Fisher’s exact test, and chi-square test. ‎ Results: This study showed that the prevalence of pregestational overweight & obesity, and underweight was ‎‎37.5% and 7.4%, respectively. The prevalence of neonatal LBW and HBW was 5.1% and 3.8%, respectively. In addition, 9.7% of underweight women had LBW neonatals, and 11.8% ‎‎of women with pregestational obesity had HBW infants (P = 0.039).‎ Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity in pregnant women was higher than that reported in other studies ‎in different regions of Iran. Therefore, obesity is a warning for health politicians and administrators. ‎Although prenatal care has been able to control neonatal LBW and HBW, although there is a long way until the achievement of the nutritional ‎goals for 2025.