Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in rural field practice area of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy accounts for one fifth of maternal deaths worldwide and is a major factor responsible for low birth weight. In India, 16% of maternal deaths are attributed to anaemia. Prevalence of anaemia is higher among pregnant women and it persists in India despite of the availability of effective, low-cost interventions for prevention and treatment. The objective was to study the prevalence of anaemia among rural pregnant women and also to study various socio-demographic factors associated with anaemia in pregnancy.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out between February to July 2016 amongst 400 pregnant women residing in PHC Handignur were interviewed using pre-tested pre-designed questionnaire. Hb percentage was estimated by using Sahli’s method.Results: Total of 291 pregnant women were found out to have Hb levels less than 11 gm%. 9 pregnant women were found to have severe anaemia, 149 had moderate anaemia, 133 had mild anaemia. Factors such as literacy status, open air defecation were found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy.Conclusions:Prevalence of anaemia among the pregnant women was found to be 72.75%. Early detection and effective management of anaemia in pregnancy can contribute substantially to reduction in maternal mortality.