Background: Eggs are nutrient rich and have the potential to improve maternal nutrition during pregnancy and birth outcomes, but cultural beliefs may inhibit consumption during pregnancy. Objective: To understand knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, practices, facilitators, and barriers related to consuming eggs during pregnancy in Kenya. Methods: The study had 3 phases. Phase I included in-depth interviews and free-listing and pile-sorting exercises with pregnant women (n = 36), husbands (n = 12), and mothers-in-law (n = 12) of pregnant women, and health providers (n = 24). Phase II involved egg preparation exercises with pregnant women (n = 39). Phase III involved a weeklong trial of egg consumption with pregnant women (n = 24). We used thematic content analysis methods to analyze qualitative data and tabulated quantitative data. Results: All participants recognized eggs as nutritious for pregnant women; 25% of pregnant women consumed eggs the previous day. However, participants believed eating too many eggs during pregnancy (1 or more eggs daily) leads to a large baby and delivery complications. Unaffordability and unavailability also inhibit consumption. Health workers are the most trusted source of information on maternal nutrition. Almost all women complied with the household trial, said they would continue eating eggs and would recommend eggs to other pregnant women in moderation. Conclusions: Although participants believed consuming eggs during pregnancy is beneficial, cultural norms, practices, and beliefs may prevent pregnant women from eating them daily. Interpersonal communication from health workers and agricultural policies to promote affordability could lead to increased consumption.

中文翻译：

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孕期可以促进鸡蛋消费吗？肯尼亚知识、观念和实践研究的结果

背景：鸡蛋营养丰富，有可能改善孕期母体营养和分娩结果，但文化信仰可能会抑制孕期食用。目标：了解与肯尼亚怀孕期间食用鸡蛋相关的知识、态度、信念、做法、促进因素和障碍。方法：该研究分为 3 个阶段。第一阶段包括对孕妇 (n = 36)、丈夫 (n = 12) 和婆婆 (n = 12) 以及医疗保健提供者的深入访谈和免费列表和堆排序练习(n = 24)。第二阶段涉及孕妇（n = 39）的鸡蛋准备练习。第三阶段涉及对孕妇（n = 24）进行为期一周的鸡蛋消费试验。我们使用主题内容分析方法对定性数据进行分析，并将定量数据制成表格。结果：所有参与者都认为鸡蛋对孕妇有营养；25% 的孕妇在前一天食用了鸡蛋。然而，参与者认为怀孕期间吃太多鸡蛋（每天 1 个或更多鸡蛋）会导致婴儿过大和分娩并发症。负担不起和无法获得也抑制了消费。卫生工作者是最值得信赖的孕产妇营养信息来源。几乎所有的女性都遵守了家庭试验，表示会继续吃鸡蛋，并会适度向其他孕妇推荐鸡蛋。结论：虽然参与者认为在怀孕期间食用鸡蛋是有益的，但文化规范、做法和信仰可能会阻止孕妇每天吃鸡蛋。