Prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among pregnant women in Ilala Municipality - Tanzania: Analytical cross-sectional study

Abstract

Anaemia during pregnancy is still 1 of the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality in low and middle-income countries. Initiatives to address this need evidence on trends and their relevant factors, as they vary from 1 area to another. This study determined the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among pregnant women in Ilala, Tanzania. This community-based, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2022 involving 367 randomly selected pregnant women. An interviewer-administered questionnaire and a HemoCue analyzer were used for data collection The data was described using descriptive statistics (frequency distributions, percentages, etc) and inferential statistics (Chi-square tests and logistic regression) were used to explore the associations between the study’s outcome and its explanatory variables, with a significance level of P < .05. The mean age of participants was 26.2 (standard deviation = 5.2) years, 58.0% had a secondary education level, and 45.2 were prime-para. About half (57.2%) of all participants had low hemoglobin level, among which, 36.2% had moderate anemia. Having a primary education level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.3, confidence interval [CI] = 1.1–4.7), having an inter-pregnancy interval of <18 months (AOR = 2.6, CI = 1.2–5.5), being in the third trimester (AOR = 2.4, CI = 1.2–4.7), not taking Intermittent Prophylaxis Treatment (AOR = 3.7, CI = 1.3–10), not taking iron supplement and folic acid (AOR = 3.7, CI = 1.3–10), and having a moderate appetite(AOR = 1.6, CI = 1.0–2.6) were predictors of anemia. Nutritionally related factors were not consuming on a daily basis dairy food (AOR = 3.7, CI = 1.4–9.3), meat/fish (AOR = 6.6, CI = 3–14), dark green and other vegetables (AOR = 6.6, CI = 3.1–14), fruits (AOR = 4.2, CI = 1.4–12) and having a lower dietary diversity score (AOR = 84, CI = 37–188). Approximately half of pregnant women in Ilala municipality were anemic with 1 third of them having moderate anemia. The associated factors varied from nutritional, obstetric, and socio-demographic factors. The targeted interventions should focus on health promotion campaign to sensitize the population on the dangers of anemia in pregnancy and preventive measures that must be adhered to.

Correlation of Iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin A Intake with Ferritin Levels in Third Trimester Pregnant Women at Andalas Health Center in 2023

“…Anemia during pregnancy is found to increase in the third trimester, during pregnancy the body requires more iron to produce hemoglobin due to fetal growth, therefore consuming adequate food diversity is very important. In this study, pregnant women in their third trimester were found to have poorer appetite, consume less dark vegetables and consume less milk than mothers in their second trimester (28).…”

Dietary micronutrients intake and its effect on haemoglobin levels of pregnant women for clinic visit in the Mount Cameroon health area: a cross-sectional study

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anaemia is a condition in which the haemoglobin concentration within the red blood cells are lower than normal and consequently their oxygen carrying capacity is insufficient to meet the physiological demands of the body ( 12 , 13 ). This results in symptoms such as; body weakness, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations and shortness of breath ( 13 , 14 ). In 2019, the prevalence rates of anaemia was estimated at 29.9% among women of reproductive ages (WRA) and 36.5% in pregnant women ( 15 ).…”