Enormity of anaemia and its determinant factors among lactating mothers in Northern Ghana: A case of nanton district

Abstract

Background: Anemia remains one of the most severe and common public health conditions that predominantly affects children and women across the globe. It is defined as a condition in which the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration is less than 11.0 g/dl particularly in women. The World health organisation report indicated that 20 to 50 percent of the world population was affected by iron deficiency anemia. Method: An institutional cross-sectional study design was the method used through the data collection and management. Information was sought from four selected health centres across the nanton district with systematic sampling deployed to select respondents of interest. A sample of 420 respondents were obtained and processed for analysis. A bivariate and multivariate analysis uncovered the associated factors and its predictiveness. Results: The prevalence of anaemia in totality was 56.0% (95% CI 51.3%, 60.8%). The divergence of the blood concentration levels between the means of the anaemic and non anaemic group was statistically significance (F stat=68.233, t stat= 35.697, p<0.01). The multivariate statistical model showed that, lactating mothers who have suffered malaria episode(s) after delivery had a 94% chance of being anaemic [AOR = 0.054; (95% CI: 0.025, 0.119)]. Lack of post partum iron supplementation increased the risk of having anaemia [AOR = 15.336; (95% CI: 6.112, 38.483)], and lactating mothers had higher risk [AOR = 1.927, (95% CI: 1.031, 3.602)] of developing anaemia with increasing 'child's age beyond three (3) months. Conclusion: Anaemia remains very high in lactating mothers attributable to episodes of postpartum malaria, iron supplementation, and increasing child's age beyond 3 months. There is the need for public health interventions and measures such as extension of folic acid distribution and Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) for malaria program to mothers at postnatal care and child welfare clinics across the region.