Study of sociodemographic factors associated with anemia during pregnancy at a university hospital in India

Abstract

Background: Between 25% and 50% of pregnant women and almost half of nonpregnant women suffer from anemia, a common health problem, especially in developing and poor countries. Anemia is one of the most common diseases in women during pregnancy. Aim: Of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women, its morphological characterization, and associated sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 290 pregnant women from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The demographic data of the participants (age, place of residence, religion, education, employment status, type of housing, socioeconomic status, and source of drinking water) were collected. A general and physical examination was performed. They were assessed for anemia and its severity. Statistical Analysis: The Chi-square test, independent-samples t-test, and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 290 pregnant women aged 18–38 years were included in the study. A total of 161 individuals (55.5%) were diagnosed with anemia. The prevalence and severity of anemia largely correlated with maternal age (<20 years or > 30 years), lower body mass index, higher education level, employment status, medication use, and lack of iron supplementation. Employment status, Kachcha residence, lower intake of nonvegetarian diet, lower intake of green leafy vegetables, nonuse of oral contraceptives in the past 3 months, and iron supplementation were found to be significantly associated with anemia severity. Conclusions: A high prevalence of anemia during pregnancy was found in this community. Higher prevalence and severity of anemia were closely related to increasing maternal age, low socioeconomic position, and lack of iron supplementation.