Postpartum anemia and its determinant factors among postnatal women in two selected health institutes in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: A facility-based, cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundAnemia is highly prevalent globally and disproportionately affects postnatal women. It is a significant cause of maternal mortality and morbidity globally.ObjectiveThe main aim of this study was to determine the extent of postpartum anemia and associated factors among postnatal women in two selected health facilities in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 282 postnatal women from March to May 2021. A systematic sampling technique was used to recruit study participants from each institute. Sociodemographic, obstetric, and clinical data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. A venous blood sample was collected to determine the red blood cell parameters. A thin blood smear preparation was performed to examine blood morphology. In addition, direct wet mount and formalin-ether sedimentation techniques were used for stool examination to identify intestinal parasites. Data were entered into EpiData and exported to Stata 14 for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were presented in text, tables, and figures. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with postpartum anemia. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe proportion of postpartum anemia was 47.16%; 95% CI; 41.30–53.03 with moderate, mild, and severe anemia accounting for 45.11, 42.86, and 12.03%, respectively. The majority of the anemia (94%) was of the normocytic normochromic type. It was associated with postpartum hemorrhage (AOR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.24–4.01), cesarean section (AOR = 4.10; 95% CI: 2.11–7.78), lack of iron and folate supplementation during pregnancy (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.17–4.02), and low diet diversity level (AOR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.05–3.18).ConclusionThe prevalence of anemia was found to be a major public health concern. Iron and folate supplementation during pregnancy, improved management of PPH, an effective cesarean section with post-operative care, and taking a diversified diet will reduce the burden. Therefore, identified factors should be considered to prevent and control postpartum anemia.

Postpartum Anemia and Associated Factors among Lactating Women Visiting Health Centers in OdoShakisso District, Oromia Region, South west Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

“…Moreover, the odds of postpartum anemia were 2.8 times higher among women who didn't take iron supplements during pregnancy compared with their counter parts. This result is consistent with similar studies results in the past [12,21]. This may be attributed to physiological change during pregnancy that requires higher amount of iron to satisfy different body needs.…”

“…Nearly one-third of lactating women were anemic in this study, which is consistent with study result from mothers in coastal Karnataka, India (26.5%) [7], China (32.7%) [25],Tanzania (34.2% [17], Uganda (29.9%) [26] ,pooled evidence from Ethiopian demographic and health survey ,2016 which reported pooled prevalence of 28.3% among lactating women [12] but lower than study conducted in southern India (47.3%) [8], Myanmar( 60.3%) [9] ,Ghana (46.7%) [27], and North west Ethiopia (47.2%) [21].…”

“…There is paucity of evidence with regards to postpartum anemia in low-income countries like Ethiopia including the study setting [5,11,12,21] although evidence on anemia during pregnancy has been exhausted to design appropriate interventions towards the containment of postpartum anemia and its resultant outcomes .Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of postpartum anemia and its predictors among lactating Women Visiting Health Centers in Odo Shakisso District, Oromia Region, South west Ethiopia.…”

The magnitude and associated factors of immediate postpartum anemia among women who gave birth in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis, 2023

“…The Ethiopian government launched an anemia reduction plan (below 12% by the end of 2025) and different strategies to reduce anemia among reproductive-age women while it is still a public health problem and unlikely to achieve the national targets [ 32 ]. This is due to poor health service utilization, low socio-economic status of women, low adherence to iron and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, and blood loss due to bleeding during childbirth [ 33 , 34 ].…”