Type | Journal Article - Anemia |
Title | Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among pregnant women in an urban area of Eastern Ethiopia |
Author(s) | |
Volume | 2014 |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2014 |
URL | http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/anemia/2014/561567.pdf |
Abstract | Anemia, defined as a decreased concentration of blood hemoglobin, is one of the most common nutritional deficiency diseases observed globally and affects more than a quarter of the world’s population [1–8]. It is a major public health problem affecting all ages of the population with its highest prevalence among children under five years of age and pregnant women [2, 3]. Globally, anemia affects 1.62 billion people (25%), among which 56 million are pregnant women [1, 2]. Anemia during pregnancy is considered severe when hemoglobin concentration is less than 7.0 g/dL, moderate when hemoglobin falls between 7.0–9.9 g/dL, and mild from 10.0-11 g/dL [2–4]. Anemia during pregnancy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of pregnant women in developing countries and has both maternal and fetal consequences [9– 13]. It is estimated that anemia causes more than 115,000 maternal and 591,000 perinatal deaths globally per year [3]. In developing countries, the cause of anemia during pregnancy is multifactorial and includes nutritional deficiencies of iron, folate, and vitamin B12 and also parasitic diseases, such as malaria and hookworm. The relative contribution of each of these factors to anemia during pregnancy varies greatly by geographical location, season, and dietary practice. In Sub-Saharan Africa, iron and folate deficiencies are the most common causes of anemia in pregnant women [14]. Anemia has a variety of converging contributing factors including nutritional, genetic, and infectious disease factors; however, iron deficiency is the cause of 75% of anemia cases [2, 5, 8–15]. Iron deficiency anemia affects the development of the nation by decreasing the cognitive development of children and productivity of adults [2, 10]. Seventeen percent of Ethiopian women in the reproductive age group are anemic and 22% of these women are currently pregnant [16]. Despite its known effect on the population, there is very little data available in the study area. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women and identifying its associated factors in the Somali Region of Eastern Ethiopia. |
» | Ethiopia - Population and Housing Census of 2007 |