Maternal undernutrition in rural Ethiopia remains highly prevalent at 38 percent. This thesis identifies key drivers including gender inequality, poor nutritional counseling, and cultural food taboos. Using human-centered design, a “couples forum” intervention was developed and validated, showing strong feasibility and cultural acceptability as a promising community-based solution.

This research examines iron deficiency in pregnancy, focusing on women with obesity who may struggle to absorb iron despite adequate intake. Findings show widespread deficiency even with supplementation. Ongoing trials test higher, better-tolerated doses to tailor iron recommendations and prevent maternal exhaustion and long-term harm to mothers and babies.