The prevalence of nutritional anemia in pregnancy in an east Anatolian province, Turkey

Leyla Karaoglu,Mucahit Egri,Erkan Pehlivan,Cihan Deprem,Gulsen Gunes,Ismail Temel,Metin F Genc

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-329

Abstract

BackgroundAnemia is considered a severe public health problem by World Health Organization when anemia prevalence is equal to or greater than 40% in the population. The purpose of this study was to determine the anemia prevalence with the associated factors in pregnant women and to determine the serum iron, folate and B12 vitamin status in anaemic pregnants in Malatya province.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional survey. A multi-sage stratified probability-proportional-to-size cluster sampling methodology was used. A total of 823 pregnant women from sixty clusters were studied. Women were administered a questionnaire related with the subject and blood samples were drawn. Total blood count was performed within four hours and serum iron, folate and B12 vitamin were studied after storing sera at -20 C for six months.ResultsAnemia prevalence was 27.1% (Hb < 11.0 gr/dl). Having four or more living children (OR = 2.2), being at the third trimester (OR = 2.3) and having a low family income (OR = 1.6) were determined as the independent predictors of anemia in pregnancy. Anemia was also associated with soil eating (PICA) in the univariate analysis (p < 0.05). Of anaemic women, 50.0% had a transferrin saturation less than 10% indicating iron deficiency, 34.5% were deficient in B12 vitamin and 71.7% were deficient in folate. Most of the anemias were normocytic-normochromic (56.5%) indicating mixed anemia.ConclusionsIn Malatya, for pregnant women anemia was a moderate public health problem. Coexisting of iron, folate and B vitamin deficiencies was observed among anaemics. To continue anemia control strategies with reasonable care and diligence was recommended.

Highlights

The majority were in the second trimester (63.7%) and 36.3% were in third trimester
Our findings did not correlate with the results reported by Population Action International (PAI) and World Health Organization (WHO) which indicated that pregnant women in Turkey have had severe anemia [8,11]
As a matter of fact, the reduction in anemia prevalence from that projected earlier in 1970s is expectable since there was a rapid socio-economic growth of the Turkish population over the past two-three decades which had a major impact on both health status and disease patterns throughout the country and in east Anatolia

Summary

Introduction

Anemia is considered a severe public health problem by World Health Organization when anemia prevalence is equal to or greater than 40% in the population. The purpose of this study was to determine the anemia prevalence with the associated factors in pregnant women and to determine the serum iron, folate and B12 vitamin status in anaemic pregnants in Malatya province. Anemia prevalences during pregnancy differed from 18% in developed countries to 75% in South Asia [1]. Related iron deficiecy is the main cause of anemia throughout the world. It is especially common in women of reproductive age and during pregnancy. Frequent labour, multiparity, abortions, parazitic enfestations, consuming excess tea or coffee after meals determined as the predictors of anemia in reproductive age women [3]

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