Prevalence of anemia and its risk factors among pregnant women in Khorramabad (Iran) 2010–2014

Abstract

Purpose: Anemia’s adverse effects on physical and behavioral development and on the reduction of efficiency have been proven. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women referred to the health care centers of Khorramabad from 2010 to 2014.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2821 prenatal care cases of pregnant women referred to health care centers of Khorramabad were studied. Studied variables included the following: hemoglobin, hematocrit, age, parity, trimester of pregnancy status, number of deliveries, number of abortions, number of children, weight, height, time gap from previous delivery, negative RH, history of eclampsia/preeclampsia, coagulation disorder and blood pressure.

Results: The mean age of the studied women was 26.7 ± 5.5. The mean levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit from the population was 12 ± 1.1 and 36.1 ± 9.2, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was 16.8%. Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women referred to health care centers of Khorramabad was found to be high.

Conclusions: Staff working at different parts of health care centers were advised to pay more attention to this problem. They should also try to control and treat anemia by regular distribution of iron supplements among women referred to health care centers.

• Anemia
• hemoglobin
• hematocrit
• pregnant women

Acknowledgements

The researchers of the study express their gratitude to all the staff of health care centers and also to the questioners gathering the data. They also appreciate the research assistant of Lorestan Universitiy of Medical Sciences for financing this study.

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by the research assistant of Lorestan Universitiy of Medical Sciences. The authors report no declarations of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.