Prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy in Jima town, southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

A prospective study of the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy among 279 first-time attendants of the antenatal care clinic at Jima Health Centre, Jima, Ethiopia was carried out from August 20 to December 15, 1991. The overall prevalence of anaemia was 41.9%, the rates being 56.8% and 35.9% for rural and urban residents respectively. The mean haemoglobin level was 10.9 gm/dl and 6.4 gm/dl for the whole group and anaemic women respectively. The majority (74.3%) had moderate anaemia; 2.5% had severe anaemia. The rate of anaemia was higher among the illiterate and in those who did not practice family planning of any sort and in the third trimester, and increased with parity.

PIP: In southwestern Ethiopia, interviews were conducted with and blood samples collected from 279 pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic of the Jima Health Center for the first time during their pregnancy between August 20 and December 15, 1991. A physician wanted to determine the prevalence of anemia in the Jima area and the leading predisposing factors placing these women at risk of anemia. Anemia was defined as less than 11 g of hemoglobin (Hb)/dl. 41.9% of the women had anemia. The mean Hb level for all 270 women was 10.9 g/dl, while it was 6.4 g/dl for the anemic women. Most of the women with anemia (74.3%) had moderate anemia (7-10 g Hb/dl). 2.5% had severe anemia (7 g Hb/dl). Anemia was most common in rural women (56.8% vs. 35.9% for urban women; p = 0.001) and illiterate women (53.7% vs. 37.1% for literate women; p = 0.01). Parasitic infection was associated with anemia in pregnancy (p 0.01). For example, 75% of anemic women had a hookworm infection compared to only 25% of nonanemic women (p 0.01). Schistosomiasis was also more common in anemic women than nonanemic women (66.7% vs. 33.3%). The prevalence of anemia increased with parity (nulliparity = 28%, parity 1-4 = 43.6%, and parity =or 5 = 53.5%; p 0.01). It also increased with gestational age (or= 13 weeks = 7.7%; 14-25 weeks = 36.7%, and 25 weeks = 50%; p 0.01), indicating that women who wait until the third trimester to seek prenatal care are more likely to develop anemia during pregnancy than those who seek it at an earlier gestational age. A short birth interval between pregnancies was associated with anemia in pregnancy (100% for 12 months vs. 33.3% for 24 months; p 0.01). 67.5% of all women with anemia did not use contraception compared to only 45.1% of nonanemic women (p 0.01). These findings show a need for proper prenatal care and family planning and for health workers to distribute iron supplements to groups at high risk of anemia during pregnancy.