Anaemia in Pregnancy and Associated Factors: A Cross- Sectional Study of Antenatal Attendants at Mamobi General Hospital
Date
2019-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
Background:
Anaemia is a health problem that is associated with a decrease in the volume of red blood cells as well as reduction in the mean haemoglobin concentration in the blood. Haemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen to tissues and organs in the body. Anaemia can be a particularly serious problem for pregnant women, leading to premature delivery and low birth weight. Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common micronutrient deficiency, and anaemia is often described as an indicator of both poor nutrition and poor health.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with anaemia among antenatal care attendants at the Mamobi General Hospital
Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted among pregnant women attending the Mamobi General Hospital. Structured questionnaire that was used in a similar study conducted by various authors was revised and adopted in this study. Results was analyzed using Stata version 15 and presented as mean, standard deviations, percentages, chi-square and logistic regression. The significance level was set at p<0.05.
Results: A total of 372 pregnant women were enrolled in the study with a mean age (±SD) 28.47 (±5.74) years. The prevalence of anaemia was 53.3% (62.7% mild, 35.9% moderate and 1.4% severe). Maternal anaemia was significantly associated with participant’s religion (p=0.032) and folic acid consumption (p=0.038) after controlling for confounders.
Conclusion: The overall prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy was 53.3%. Folic acid tablet supplementation and religion were associated with anaemia. It was therefore recommended that health workers, particularly health promoters and midwives should intensify health promotion to help reduce anaemia among the pregnant women.
Description
MPH. Epidemiology and Disease Control
Keywords
Anaemia, Mamobi General Hospital