<p>Magnitude of Anemia and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study</p>

Abstract

Patients and Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2019, among 373 pregnant women who attended antenatal care at Dilla University referral hospital. Socio-demographic factors, nutritional, medical and obstetric information of the study participants were collected using a structured questionnaire. Hemoglobin was measured using a hemacue machine, and fecal specimens were examined to detect intestinal parasites. Bivariate and multiple variable binary logistic regressions were used to identify predictors of anemia. A p-value less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results: Overall prevalence of anemia was 28.7%, of which 19.6% had mild anemia. Decreased odds of anemia were found in women with good nutritional status (MUAC ≥24 cm) (AOR= 0.07 95% CI: 0.03-0.1), iron supplementation (AOR=0.06 95% CI: 0.02-0.15) and birth spacing ≥2 yrs (AOR=0.03 95% CI: 0.009-0.45). However, increased odds of anemia were seen in pregnant women with intestinal parasites (AOR=6.11 95% CI 7.70-37.0). Conclusion: The magnitude of anemia among pregnant women was found to be a moderate public health problem. Iron supplementation, good nutritional status (MUAC> 24 cm), and birth spacing reduce the odds of anemia. But having intestinal parasites was found to increase the likelihood of anemia during pregnancy. Counseling on birth spacing, strengthening iron supplementation, and intestinal parasite management during pregnancy should be given due emphasis.

Determinants of anemia status among pregnant women in ethiopia: using 2016 ethiopian demographic and health survey data; application of ordinal logistic regression models

“…This result is consistent with the past studies [39][40][41][42]. The likely explanation for this link is that women require greater iron supplementation during pregnancy, which prevents anemia and also aids in the formation and oxygenation of blood cells, lowering the risk of anemia [37], so the responsible bodies are better to advice the women to take iron during pregnancy.…”

“…Findings of this study showed that the higher the total number of children ever born, the higher the risk of anemia for pregnant women. This result agreed with studies in Ethiopia [37,43] and East Africa [34]. This could be because having more children could lead to food instability in the home and women eating an imbalanced diet.…”

“…This study's findings suggest that not only ANC visits during pregnancy, but also trips to health facilities in the preceding twelve months, can help pregnant women to minimize their anemia burden. This research is in line with previous research in southern Ethiopia [37], Tanzania [38], and sub-Saharan Africa [36]. Pregnant women who attended ANC follow-up were encouraged to eat ironrich foods and take iron-folic acid pills by health professionals, and prenatal care counseling can assist pregnant women remember to take iron-rich foods and iron-folic acid tablets.…”

Critical factors associated with postpartum maternal death in Ethiopia

“…The possible explanation for anaemia related death during the postpartum period relates to women's circulatory decomposition, which is manifested by increased cardiac output and decreased ability to blood loss, which ultimately results in shock and death [97]. On the other hand, the risk factors of anaemia such as low dietary intake of iron, intestinal or blood parasite infection, and chorine illness [98,99], could be handled during ANC visit by supplementation of iron, folic acid, and deworming.…”

Sero-Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Services in Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

“…Every mother is expected to have a minimum of 4 visits through the course of her pregnancy. 31 Because HBV-infected pregnant women are at risk of infecting their babies, knowing the magnitude of HBV status and its risk factors in the area is highly important in preventing mother-to-child transmission and reducing the disease burden. However, in resource-constrained settings such as Ethiopia, laboratory diagnosis of HBV infection is not part of routine care in ANC of all health facilities, which makes the detection of pregnant mothers with HBV difficult, which also makes the intervention very difficult.…”