Anemia Awareness, Causes, and Prevention among Pregnant Women at Asogbon Phc, Bariga, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Anemia has been identified as a serious public health problem in both developed and developing countries, affecting around 2 billion people and accounting for threequarters of a million fatalities per year in Africa and Southeast Asia. Anemia in pregnancy is common, according to research from around the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness, causes, and prevention of anemia in pregnancy among pregnant mothers attending Asogbon PHC Bariga in Lagos State, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The respondents were given a questionnaire. One hundred and nine (109) questionnaires were distributed, collected, and analyzed by respondents. The study's data was examined and processed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) V21. To assess participant characteristics and offer responses to the study's research questions, descriptive analysis, frequency, average, and percentage were employed. The study discovered that knowledge about anemia signs, vulnerability, food, and prenatal visits was good, but information about causes and perceived effects of anemia was inadequate. According to the findings, the most common known cause of the condition is a poor diet, followed by malaria, worm infestations, and other factors. Despite widespread recognition that poor diet is the leading cause of anemia in pregnancy, there is little information about food sources that can assist in combating the disease. Also, less than half of those who profess knowledge of anemia-fighting foods eat them throughout pregnancy. The study found that the pregnant women were of reproductive age and had completed secondary and higher secondary school. The study revealed that while there was good awareness and prevention of anemia in pregnancy, To obtain a better feto-maternal outcome in pregnancy, there is a need to raise awareness about anemia in pregnancy and implement effective health education programs on anemia prevention.