Assessment of Anthropometric Indicators of Maternal Malnutrition among Pregnant Women in Nongowa Chiefdom, Kenema District, Sierra Leone

Maternal malnutrition remains a major public-health concern in Sierra Leone, yet community-level evidence based on objective anthropometric measurement is scarce. This study assessed anthropometric indicators of maternal malnutrition among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics in Nongowa Chiefdom, Kenema District. A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used, and data were collected from 63 pregnant women using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and standardized measurements of body mass index (BMI) and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). Data were analyzed in SPSS using frequencies, percentages, and charts. The findings revealed a clear double burden of malnutrition: by BMI, 14.3% of respondents were underweight, 49.2% were of normal weight, 25.4% were overweight, and 11.1% were obese; by MUAC, 19.0% were malnourished (below 23 cm). Overall, just over half (50.8%) fell outside the normal BMI range, and MUAC detected more acute undernutrition than BMI. The population was highly economically vulnerable, with 65.1% reporting no income and 50.8% unemployed, and more than half experienced household food insecurity. Respondents identified poverty and food shortages, rather than cultural beliefs, as the main factors affecting their nutrition. Although ANC coverage, supplementation, and nutrition education were high (all above 87%), most women (79.4%) attended only one or two ANC visits, far below the WHO-recommended minimum. Maternal malnutrition in the study area is therefore driven principally by poverty and food insecurity, and the routine integration of MUAC screening into ANC, alongside economic and food-security interventions, is recommended. Keywords: antenatal care; maternal malnutrition; anthropometric indicators; mid-upper arm circumference; body mass index; food insecurity