Abstract
Background: Anaemia in pregnant women remains a major preoccupation in the fight against maternal and infant mortality. It constitutes a sure materno-infantile morbidity and mortality risk, premature delivery and small weight births. Objective: This study was aimed at determining the risk factors of anaemia among pregnant women in the Banyo Health District in the Adamawa Region, Cameroun. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out for six weeks (September 17 to November 3, 2013) in 6 health facilities of the Banyo Health District. Included in this study were all pregnant woman received during prenatal consultation in the health facilities of the Banyo Health District who gave her consent to participate in the study. Data collection was done with the help of a questionnaire. A total of 297 pregnant women received during prenatal consultation in the 6 health facilities of the 5 health areas were chosen by the systematic consecutive sampling method. These women benefited from a haemoglobin test after a capillary blood draw was carried out which permitted a para-clinical evaluation of the anaemia. Data were analysed by Excel and SPSS 22 softwares. Results: The results showed that the mean haemoglobin rate was of 10.8±1.89 g/dl. 52.5% of pregnant women were anaemic amongst which 46% had mild anaemia, 48% had moderate anaemia and 6% had severe anaemia. 63% of the women with anaemia live in polygamous household and 55.7% do not wash their hands with soap after a meal. The prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in the Banyo Health District was associate with the consumption of kaolin (OR=1.9 [1.1-3.9] p=0.049), irregular iron supplement intake (OR=2.9 [1.4-5.9] p=0.014) and the number of meal consumed per day less than or equal to 2 (OR=2.81 [2.13-5.9] p=0.007). On the other hand, regular fruit consumption (OR=0.28 [0.11-0.74] p=0.011), sound knowledge of the causes (OR=0.36 [0.19-0.68] p=0.002) and the consequences (OR=0.35 [0.19-0.7] p=0.003) of anaemia were significantly associated with lesser risk of anaemia among the pregnant women. Conclusion: The high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in the Banyo Health District remains a preoccupying health problem. It demonstrates the need of a global action in resolution of this public health problem. As such, there is a need to mobilize a preventive strategy with emphasis on sensitization, nutritional and health education. In addition, maternal systematic iron supplementation from the second trimester of pregnancy remains an imperative.
Highlights
Anemia is a decrease in the total amount of circulating functional hemoglobin, expressed when the peripheral blood hemoglobin concentration decreases below normal values
The threshold recommended for pregnant women is 11 g/dl, that is, anemia is defined during pregnancy, with a hemoglobin level of less than 11 g/dl in the first and third trimester of the pregnancy, less than 10.5 g/dl in the second and within the post, by a rate lower than 10 g/dl
Our results were lower than those of Jutcha et al [16]. They were 3 times higher than those of Nguefack Tchente et al [16] and 5 times higher than those found by Koura et al [17] in South Benin (1.7%). This high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in the Banyo Health District is explained by the fact that the majority of anemic pregnant women were from polygamous households where there are enough people to feed, where incomes are fairly modest and do not feed sufficiently
Summary
Anemia is a decrease in the total amount of circulating functional hemoglobin, expressed when the peripheral blood hemoglobin concentration decreases below normal values. For Demmouche and Moulessehoul [7], pregnant women's anemia is frequent and Caroline Teh Monteh et al.: Risk Factors of Anaemia Among Pregnant Women in Banyo Health District, Adamawa Region of Cameroon is partly the result of the nutritional status of the population. A total of 297 pregnant women received during prenatal consultation in the 6 health facilities of the 5 health areas were chosen by the systematic consecutive sampling method. These women benefited from a haemoglobin test after a capillary blood draw was carried out which permitted a paraclinical evaluation of the anaemia. Maternal systematic iron supplementation from the second trimester of pregnancy remains an imperative
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