Anemia and iron deficiency in rural Bangladeshi pregnant women living in areas of high and low iron in groundwater

Abstract

Background: Recent studies found a low rate of iron deficiency in Bangladeshi non-pregnant and non-lactating women. This was attributed to high iron concentrations in drinking water. However, there are limited data on iron deficiency among pregnant women in Bangladesh.

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among rural pregnant women and explore the association of groundwater iron concentration with anemia and iron deficiency in this group.

Methods: This study used data from a baseline assessment of an intervention study on rural pregnant women (n = 522), gestational age ≤20 wk, living in areas of low and high iron in groundwater.

Results: Overall, 34.7% of the pregnant women had anemia, 27% had iron deficiency, and 13.4% had IDA. Prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency, and IDA among the pregnant women living in low-groundwater-iron areas was significantly higher than among the pregnant women from high-groundwater-iron areas. The odds of iron deficiency were significantly lower among pregnant women in the higher quartiles of daily iron intake from drinking water.

Conclusions: This study found a differential prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency among pregnant women living in areas of high and low groundwater iron. Iron status was independently associated with daily iron intake from drinking water. However, a significant proportion of the anemia could not be attributed to iron deficiency. Further research to identify other nutritional and non-nutritional contributors to anemia in Bangladesh is needed to formulate effective prevention and control programs for anemia.

Keywords: Anemia; Bangladesh; Groundwater iron; Iron deficiency; Pregnant women.