THE RELATIONSHIP OF DIETARY PATTERNS WITH THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN DRAJAT HEALTH CENTER, CIREBON CITY

Maternal nutritional status is an important indicator in determining the health of both mother and fetus. One of the factors influencing nutritional status is dietary patterns. This study aimed to determine the relationship between dietary patterns and the nutritional status of pregnant women at Drajat Health Center, Cirebon City, in 2025. This research employed a quantitative method with a cross-sectional design. A total of 56 pregnant women were selected using purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria. Research instruments included the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to assess dietary patterns and Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) to assess nutritional status. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analysis with the Chi-Square test at a significance level of 0.05.
The univariate analysis showed that most pregnant women had adequate dietary patterns (82.1%), followed by good (16.1%) and poor (1.8%). Regarding nutritional status, the majority were categorized as not at risk of Chronic Energy Deficiency (82.1%), while 17.9% were at risk. The bivariate analysis yielded a p-value = 0.036 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant relationship between dietary patterns and the nutritional status of pregnant women.
This study concludes that the better the dietary patterns of pregnant women, the lower the risk of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED). It is recommended that healthcare workers strengthen nutrition education and routinely monitor dietary patterns of pregnant women to prevent nutritional problems and ensure a healthy pregnancy.