Prevalence and determinants of anemia among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at District Hospital in Qarbagh District, Ghazani Province, Afghanistan

Abstract

Background: The burden of anemia among pregnant women is high in developing countries, with an increased risk of maternal mortality and morbidity in these settings.Objectives: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of anemia among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at District Hospital in Qarabagh District, Ghazani province, Afghanistan.Methods: Pregnant women receiving antenatal care in this cross-sectional study completed a structured questionnaire and Hemoglobin (Hb) measurement from September to December 2020. The study questionnaire collected information on respondents’ socio-demographic, reproductive and dietary characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to describe anemia prevalence and other baseline characteristics. We employed bivariate and multivariable analyses to identify determinants of anemia. We used SPSS version 21 for statistical analyses. Results: Overall, 45.6% (CI: 41.64%-49.60%) of the respondents were anemic, of which 54.4% cases were mild. Pregnant women who were from households with low income (vs the high income) had higher odds of anemia (AOR=2.24; 95%CI:1.06-4.71). Husbands’ employment was strongly associated with anemia (AOR=2.04; 95%CI:1.04-3.97), as well as women who had a history of complications in last pregnancy (AOR=1.53; 95%CI: 1.02-2.28) and those who had irregular menstruation before this pregnancy had higher odds of anemia (AOR=2.21;1.35-3.64).Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women reflects a severe public health problem in the study area. Pregnant women from a household with low income, whose husbands were self-employed, and those who had a history of complications and irregular menstruation before this pregnancy were at higher risk of anemia. Hence, policymakers and health providers in the study area should take note of the results of this study to reduce the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women.

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

“…in 2022 at Qarabagh District, Ghazani province, Afghanistan was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of anemia among 625 pregnant women receiving antenatal care. This study reported that factors such as household income, husband’s employment status, menstruation cycle, previous pregnancy complications and education impacted prevalence on anemia in Afghanistan 41 . Compared to Pakistan, the same factors do apply, which affect the incidence of anemia among pregnant women.…”