Rajkumar Patil et al

Calicut Medical Journal 2010;8(2):e4

Original article
Taboos and misconceptions about food during pregnancy
among rural population of Pondicherry

Rajkumar Patil1,Anuj Mittal2 , Vedapriya DR2,M Iqbal Khan1, M.Raghavia2

Department of Community Medicine
1
Geetanjali Medical College,Udaipur,Rajasthan
2
A.V. Medical College, Pondicherry
Summary
Maximum misconceptions about nutrition another in every society on Earth, for it is a
revolve around pregnancy; affecting a vital fact that perhaps nowhere in the world, a
period in human lifecycle. The aim of the people, a tribe, or an ethnic group, makes
present study was to explore food taboos use of the full potential of edible items in its
during pregnancy among the rural surroundings.(2,3) It is the regular
population of Pondicherry. A cross sectional avoidance of a food that turns into a
study was conducted in a village under tradition which ends up eventually as a food
Rural Health Centre of Community Medicine taboo.(2)
Department of AV Medical College at
Pondicherry. Total 339 adults were Pregnancy imposes the need for
interviewed from the village. Statistical considerable extra calorie and nutrient
analysis was done using proportions (%) requirements. A balanced and adequate
and Chi-square test. 62.8% participants diet is therefore, of utmost importance
believed that consumption of saffron by during pregnancy and lactation to meet the
pregnant woman results in a fairer skin increased needs of the mother, and to
child. Most common reason for restriction of prevent “nutritional stress”.(4)In various
specified fruit/vegetable was abortion studies it was seen that pregnant women in
(86.1%). Overall more than half of the various parts of the world are forced to
participants lack awareness; they still abstain from nutritious foods as a part of
believe in old unscientific tales. Illiteracy is their traditional food habits.(5,6,7)
an important factor responsible for this.
We could not find any study related to food
Keywords: food taboo, misconception, taboos and beliefs in South India so we
health, food, pregnancy planned the study. This paper tries to
explore some food taboos and their reasons
Introduction among rural population of Pondicherry.

All people, whether rural or urban, have Materials and Methods

their own beliefs and practices. Some are
based on centuries of trial and error and A cross sectional study was planned to
have positive values while others may be study the misconceptions about food during
useless or harmful. (1) This is true for food pregnancy among adult rural population.A
also. Some food items are considered good pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire
and some bad at different ages of life. Food was used. Before interview, subjects were
informed about the purpose of the study and
taboos are known from virtually all human consent was taken.
societies. Probably food taboos (as
unwritten social rules) exist in one form or The study was conducted in the field area
of Rural Health and Training Centre,
Manapet, of department of Community

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Rajkumar Patil et al

Calicut Medical Journal 2010;8(2):e4

Medicine,A V Medical College,Pondicherry. of the participants were females (64.3%).
There were 4 villages under the field area of Most of the females were housewives
RHTC Manapet. One village was selected (58.7%), while 50.4% of males were
randomly and door to door survey was farmers; others were laborers & semi skilled
conducted. Population of the selected workers. Nearly half of the participants were
village was 1435. All families (except door in Socio-Economic Class V (based on
locked/no consent) in the village were Modified Prasad’s classification), with only
covered. Only adult population was selected 1.8% in Class I.
for the study. One person (preferably head
of the family or any elder member present) Of 339, 216 (63.7%) told that some
from each family was interviewed vegetables/fruits should be avoided during

After proper training and orientation about pregnancy. There was no significant
the location and people living there, Interns difference regarding this misconception
conducted the survey in the village (1st between literates and illiterates. (Table1).
January 08-15th February 08). The data Most of the illiterates (91.3%) told that
collected were entered and analyzed in MS- papaya should not be eaten during
Excel software. Simple proportions (%) and pregnancy in comparison to 83.9% of
Chi square test were used to analyze the literates (Table 2).Most common reason for
data. restriction of specified fruits/vegetables was
abortion (Table 3).
Results and Discussion
In a hospital based Pakistani study(8)of
As literacy is an important determinant for women’s beliefs about food in pregnancy,
health and disease we compared the 12% believed in restricting some food item
various food taboos and their reasons during pregnancy, this was different from
between illiterates and literates in our study. our study finding (63.7%) as we carried out
the study among men as well women and in
Our study population was 339 adults; most a community setting. But there was no
of the participants belonged to age group significant difference among education
25-32 yr (24.5%) followed by old age group levels, similar to our study finding.
(>65 years) (16.5%).Regarding literacy, 203
were literates & 136 were illiterates. Majority
____________________________________________________________________________________
Table 1: Avoidance of any food/fruit during pregnancy

Avoidance of any Literates Illiterates

food/fruit (136) (203)
No. % No. %
Yes (216) 92 67.6 124 61.1
No (95) 32 23.5 63 31.0
Don’t Know (28) 12 8.8 16 7.9

(Chi Square value:2.27; p-value:0.3214; Not significant)

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 Rajkumar Patil et al

Calicut Medical Journal 2010;8(2):e4

Table 2: Avoidance of fruits/vegetables during pregnancy*

Illiterates Literates Total

Avoided (92) (124) (216)
fruit/vegetable

No. % No. % No. %

Papaya 84 91.3 104 83.9 188 87.0
Mango 10 10.9 23 18.6 33 15.3
Jack fruit 9 9.8 10 8.1 19 8.8
Pineapple 9 9.8 8 6.5 17 7.9
Banana 4 4.3 7 5.6 11 5.1
Grape 4 4.3 6 4.8 10 4.6
Others** 6 6.5 13 10.5 19 8.8
(*Multiple answers; ** guava, green leafy vegetables)

Table 3: Reasons for not consuming fruits during pregnancy*

Illiterates Literates Total

Reasons (92) (124) (216)

No. % No. % No. %

Abortion 84 91.3 102 82.3 186 86.1
Cold food 13 14.1 20 16.1 33 15.3
Others** 4 4.3 9 7.3 13 6.0
(*Multiple answers; ** hot food, cold food, rigors, overweight, seizures, difficult labor)

Table 4: Misconception about saffron consumption during pregnancy

Illiterates (136) Literates (203)

No No
Misconception Agree Disagree Agree Disagree
Comments Comments

No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %

Consumption of saffron
results in a fairer skin 104 76.2 23 16.9 9 6.6 109 53.7 73 35.9 21 10.3
child
(Chi Square value:18.44 ; p value: <0.0001 , Highly significant)

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Calicut Medical Journal 2010;8(2):e4

One of the strong beliefs is that papaya can the latex that produces marked uterine
cause abortion. In a study done by Puri S and contractions) may have an adverse effect during
Kapoor S (9) it was reported that 16.5% of the pregnancy and should be avoided.(13)
adolescent girls believe that papaya can cause
abortion. A study among 1200 women from all Most common misconception was “consumption
districts of Tamil Nadu in India showed of saffron by pregnant woman results in a fairer
that 82 % of women avoided papaya during skin child” (Table 4). There was a significant
pregnancy.(10) Similarly in our study among difference regarding this misconception between
adults; more than 80% people believe that literates and illiterates but the difference was not
papaya should not be consumed. significant regarding misconception about
avoidance of any food/fruit in pregnancy.
Papaya is considered to be a fruit which is ‘hot’.
Conventionally ‘hot’ food items are avoided From our study we concluded that still a large
during pregnancy as it is thought that it will proportion of population believes in old
cause abortion. Similarly ‘cold’ foods are unscientific tales, though with increase in literacy
avoided during lactation as it might affect the the proportion of people has reduced to a certain
quality and quantity of milk production.(11) The extent. There is a need of nutrition education
main constituents of papaya latex are papain and awareness generation among all stratas of
and chymopapain,(12) which are potent uterine- population. There are very less number of
stimulants.(13) A fully ripe papaya contains very studies on food misconceptions about food in
little or a negligible quantity of the latex which pregnancy, as India is a country with diverse
will not provoke uterine contractions, so it can be cultural backgrounds, there is a need for more
eaten. On the other hand, the unripe or semiripe research.
papaya (which contains high concentration of

Acknowledgement
We would like to thank all the participants who had participated in our study. We would
also like to thank all other villagers for their kind support.
___________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________
Corresponding author:
Dr.Rajkumar Patil
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine,
Mahatama Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute
Pillaiyarkuppam,Pondicherry 607402
E-mail:[email protected]
Mobile No. 09894428081

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