Maternal nutrition is a vital determinant of pregnancy outcomes, influencing both maternal health and fetal development. Despite the implementation of several national programs such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Poshan Abhiyaan, and Anemia Mukt Bharat, gaps persist in the effective delivery of maternal nutrition interventions at the community level. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), being frontline implementers of the ICDS scheme, play a vital role in promoting maternal nutrition through counselling, health education, and supplementation. This study examined the knowledge of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) regarding maternal nutrition and antenatal care (ANC) in urban and rural areas of Sultanpur city. A total of 300 AWWs participated. Overall, awareness of key ANC practices was moderate to high, with 72.5% recognizing the need for antenatal check-ups and 93.7% correctly identifying the first trimester as the ideal period for ANC initiation. However, only 80.8% understood the importance of regular ANC follow-ups. Significant gaps were observed in maternal nutrition literacy: just 56% acknowledged the role of maternal nutrition education, and only 51.7% correctly identified the recommended gestational weight gain, with limited understanding of trimester-specific weight-gain patterns. Knowledge regarding iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation was relatively strong, as over 90% recognized its importance in fetal development and anemia prevention. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive associations between posting status and several nutrition and ANC knowledge items. The independent samples t-test revealed a significant rural–urban difference, with urban AWWs demonstrating higher knowledge scores than rural AWWs (p < .001). Overall, the findings highlight adequate understanding of basic ANC components but considerable gaps in maternal nutrition knowledge, underscoring the need for continuous, targeted capacity-building programs to strengthen AWWs’ effectiveness in improving maternal health outcomes.

Keywords: Maternal nutrition, Anganwadi workers, Knowledge, ICDS, Sultanpur, Urban–rural comparison.

Ritu K Sureka is assistant professor at the department of family and bommunity sciences, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj with a specialization in human development and family studies. Prior to joining Allahabad University she worked in various national and international research projects at the GB Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj on Dalit and marginalised communities, Bidesia and migration issues. She completed her PhD on the topic “Combating Domestic Violence against Dalit Women of Prayagraj district: An interventional approach”. A dedicated academician and researcher spanning a period of over fifteen years she has a strong passion for understanding human development across the life span. Her niche areas of research include child development, family relationships, maternal nutrition and postpartum depression among women in addition to working on geriatric population. Her research has been published in reputed national and international journals on varied topics. She is actively involved in mentoring students and promoting academic excellence with a focus on applying theoretical knowledge to real world problems.