Anemia among Women Who Visit Bost Hospital for Delivery in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Abstract

Background. Anemia is a global public health problem that affects a large number of pregnant women worldwide. In developed and developing countries, the number of pregnant women who become anemic ranges between 18% and 56%, respectively. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and factors associated with anemia among pregnant women who visit Bost Hospital for delivery in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Methods. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study that included 787 pregnant women who visited Bost Hospital for delivery services from January to June 2019. Data was collected in a self-structured questionnaire, which included sociodemographic, obstetrics, and laboratory information. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21.00 Statistical software. The prevalence of anemia was presented as a percentage. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to identify the predictors of anemia among pregnant women. Results. The overall prevalence of anemia in this study was 51% (95% CI = 48.7%–54.7%). The mean hemoglobin concentration among the study participants was 10.8 (±1.8) g/dL. On bivariate analysis, age group 30 years and above, rural residency and unemployment/housewives, multiparity, and no previous use of contraceptive were found to be associated with anemia. Binary logistic regression showed that multiparity (AOR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.81–5.29) and no contraceptive use (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.08–2.16) were the independent predictors of increased anemia among pregnant women. Conclusion. Anemia was found to be a severe public health problem in the study area. Policymakers in Afghanistan must accelerate interventions to promote family planning. The need for prospective studies is also suggested to identify other factors associated with anemia among pregnant women.

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“…This is consistent with the findings of other studies, which found that women with low monthly income were significantly more susceptible to anemia than those with middle-income monthly income [1,19,21], indicating an inverse relationship between anemia prevalence and socioeconomic status. Other socio-demographic factors like educational level and occupation were found to be insignificant predictors of anemia in this study but were significant in other studies [25,26]. There was agreement with many studies that showed that increasing antenatal care (ANC) attendance during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of pregnancy anemia [27,28].…”

Exploring the relationship between anemia in pregnancy and infant mortality: a narrative review

“…Afghanistan Afghanistan, like Pakistan, is also considered a LMIC and has multiple research literature that updates on maternal and fetal health for its prevalence of anemia. During the years 2018-19, the prevalence of anemia among the total population of pregnant women in Afghanistan was 36.5%, according to WHO, which is considered a moderate health problem [40] . This prevalence is comparatively lower than that of Pakistan's, which happened to be 57% during the same time frame [40] .…”

“…During the years 2018-19, the prevalence of anemia among the total population of pregnant women in Afghanistan was 36.5%, according to WHO, which is considered a moderate health problem [40] . This prevalence is comparatively lower than that of Pakistan's, which happened to be 57% during the same time frame [40] . An observational study by Ahmadi et al in 2022 at Qarabagh District, Ghazani province, Afghanistan was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of anemia among 625 pregnant women receiving antenatal care.…”

“…Compared to Pakistan, the same factors do apply, which affect the incidence of anemia among pregnant women. Anwary et al states further in their cross-sectional data analysis that among 787 pregnant women in Bost Hospital, Afghanistan, the women's employment status and birth interval too plays a statistically significant role in incidence of anemia [40] . These factors; however, are not seen to affect women and their hemoglobin levels in Pakistan.…”