Background: Maternal nutritional status is an important determinant of pregnancy outcomes, particularly in communities experiencing socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities. Flooding may disrupt food availability, household livelihoods, and access to healthcare services, potentially increasing nutritional risks among pregnant women. This study assessed nutritional status using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and examined its association with selected maternal characteristics among pregnant women in flood-prone and non-flood-prone communities in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 pregnant women attending antenatal care in 16 primary healthcare facilities across four local government areas of Rivers State. Participants were recruited through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, MUAC measurements, and hemoglobin assessments. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to examine associations between MUAC-based nutritional status and selected maternal characteristics. Statistical significance was assessed at p < 0.05. Results: Of the 368 participants, 187 (50.8%) were classified as having adequate MUAC-based nutritional status, while 181 (49.2%) were classified as having inadequate nutritional status according to the original study criteria. Significant associations were observed between MUAC classification and hemoglobin concentration (χ² = 12.897, p = 0.0016), educational attainment (χ² = 17.596, p < 0.001), occupation (χ² = 9.284, p = 0.0257), and pregnancy trimester (χ² = 6.661, p = 0.0358). Household income was not significantly associated with MUAC classification (χ² = 5.776, p = 0.0557). The available results did not provide a direct comparison of MUAC-based nutritional status between flood-prone and non-flood-prone communities. Conclusion: MUAC-based nutritional status was associated with hemoglobin concentration, educational attainment, occupation, and pregnancy trimester among pregnant women attending selected primary healthcare facilities in Rivers State. The findings support the importance of comprehensive nutritional assessment during antenatal care. However, the MUAC classification requires scientific verification, and further analysis is necessary to determine whether maternal nutritional status differs between flood-prone and non-flood-prone communities.