Nutritional Knowledge and Dietary Habits of Pregnant Adolescents Attending Antenatal Clinics in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

Adolescent pregnancy in North East Nigeria is associated with elevated nutritional risk due to the competing growth demands of the adolescent body alongside the nutritional requirements of pregnancy. Adequate nutritional knowledge is a critical enabler of dietary behaviour and birth outcome quality in this population. This study assesses nutritional knowledge and dietary habits of pregnant adolescents attending antenatal clinics in three local government areas of Taraba State. A cross-sectional survey design is applied to 220 pregnant adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, selected through systematic sampling from six antenatal facilities. A structured questionnaire evaluates knowledge of key nutrients in pregnancy, food taboos, dietary diversity, meal frequency, iron and folic acid supplementation awareness, and barriers to a balanced diet. A 24-hour dietary recall is applied to assess actual dietary intake, and the minimum dietary diversity for women score is computed. SPSS is used for analysis, with chi-square tests examining relationships between knowledge and dietary diversity. Evidence from a 2023 North East Nigeria adolescent nutrition study indicates that approximately 55 percent of pregnant adolescents do not meet minimum dietary diversity standards, with food taboos and poverty as the most cited barriers. The Social Cognitive Theory informs the study's analysis of the relationship between nutritional knowledge and self-regulatory dietary behaviour. Findings will support targeted antenatal nutrition counselling for adolescents in Taraba State. Keywords: nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, pregnant adolescents, antenatal care, Taraba State.