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Original Article
A study of prevalence of anemia and
sociodemographic factors associated with anemia
among pregnant women in Aurangabad city, India
Pushpa O. Lokare, Vinod D. Karanjekar, Prakash L. Gattani1, Ashok P. Kulkarni2
1
Departments of Community Medicine, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, HFWTC, Amravati,
Government Medical College, Aurangabad, and 2Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
ABSTRACT
Background: Anemia 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 anemia. The association
between anemia and adverse pregnancy outcome, higher incidence of preterm and lowbirth weight deliveries
have been demonstrated. However, high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women persists in India
despite the availability of effective, low-cost interventions for prevention and treatment. A knowledge of the
sociodemographic factors associated with anemia will help to formulate multipronged strategies to attack this
important public health problem in pregnancy.
Aim: To study the prevalence of anemia and the various sociodemographic factors associated with anemia
among pregnant women at an urban health center in Aurangabad city, India.
Setting: Urban Health Center (UHC) of Government Medical College, Aurangabad, India.
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out from August 2006 to July 2008. A total of 352 pregnant
women were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. The participants were included only
after confirmation of the pregnancy.
Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test, Chi-square test for trend.
Results: Overall prevalence of anemia among the pregnant women was found to be 87.21%. Factors such
as religion, level of education of women and their husbands and socioeconomic status were found to be
significantly associated with the prevalence of anemia in pregnancy (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Low socioeconomic class, illiteracy, Hindu religion were significantly associated with high
prevalence of anemia during pregnancy in Indian women.
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DOI:
10.4103/0331-3131.100213
Quick Response Code:
Introduction
30
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Lokare, et al.: Socio-demographic factors associated with anemia in pregnancy
Laboratory method
Subjects
Results
In the present study, the mean duration of married life of
pregnant women was 4.3 years. Mean age at menarche was
found to be 13.2 years. Similarly mean values for gravid
status and parity were 2.3 and 1.0, respectively. Mean
spacing interval was 1.7 years. Mean height and weight of
the study subjects were 152.1 cm and 48.9 kg, respectively.
Average calorie consumption per day was 1551 calories
with deficit in 18.1%. The demographic characteristics of
the study subjects are summarized in Table 1.
The majority of the subjects were between ages 20 to
29 years with an average age of 22.7 years. About 2%
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Lokare, et al.: Socio-demographic factors associated with anemia in pregnancy
Number
Percentage
86
166
84
16
24.4
47.1
23.9
4.5
182
124
45
1
51.7
35.2
12.7
0.28
133
160
59
37.7
45.4
16.8
21
64
107
109
51
352
6.0
18.2
30.4
31.0
14.5
100
32
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Lokare, et al.: Socio-demographic factors associated with anemia in pregnancy
Moderate
Severe
Total
Normal
n (%)
Total
Mild
<20
2024
2529
30
Total
23 (26.7)
38 (22.9)
21 (25.0)
5 (31.3)
87 (24.7)
46 (53.5)
96 (57.8)
43 (51.2)
7 (43.3)
192 (54.5)
7 (8.1)
10 (6.0)
8 (9.5)
3 (18.8)
28 (7.9)
76 (88.4)
144 (86.7)
72 (85.7)
15 (93.8)
307 (87.2)
10 (11.6)
22 (13.3)
12 (14.3)
1 (06.2)
45 (12.8)
86
166
84
16
352
Anemia n (%)
Chi-square test (below 25 years and up to or above 25 years age) = 0.01, d (f) 1, P = 0.919
Anaemia n (%)
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Total
7 (33.33)
14 (22.22)
18 (16.66)
23 (21.10)
25 (49.01)
87 (24.71)
2 (9.52)
25 (39.68)
74 (68.51)
71 (65.13)
20 (39.21)
192 (54.54)
1 (4.76)
6 (9.52)
9 (08.33)
9 (08.25)
3 (05.88)
28 (07.95)
10 (47.61)
45 (71.42)
101 (93.51)
103 (94.49)
48 (94.11)
307 (87.21)
Normal
n(%)
11 (52.38)
18 (28.57)
7 (06.48)
6 (05.50)
3 (05.88)
45 (12.78)
Total
Odds
ratio
21
63
108
109
51
352
1.00
2.75
15.87
18.88
17.60
Socioeconomic status (Modified B. G. Prasads Classification) Chi-square test for linear trend = 36.07, P = 0.00003
Table4: Distribution of anemia among pregnant women according to their educational status (n = 352)
Education of
women
Illiterate
Primary school
Middle school
High school
Intermediate
Graduate
Postgraduate
Total
Moderate
Severe
Total
Normal
n(%)
Total
Mild
Odds
ratio
22 (39.28)
25 (43.10)
24 (21.05)
13 (15.85)
2 (10.52)
1 (05.55)
0
87 (24.71)
22 (39.28)
22 (37.93)
76 (66.66)
59 (71.95)
7 (38.84)
5 (27.77)
1 (20.00)
192 (54.54)
10 (17.85)
8 (13.79)
5 (04.38)
3 (03.65)
1 (05.26)
1 (05.55)
0
28 (7.95)
54 (96.42)
55 (94.82)
105 (92.10)
75 (91.46)
10 (52.63)
7 (38.88)
1 (20.00)
307 (87.17)
2 (03.57)
3 (05.17)
9 (07.89)
7 (08.53)
9 (47.36)
11 (61.11)
4 (80.00)
45 (12.78)
56
58
114
82
19
18
5
352
36.00
16.49
Anemia n (%)
1.00
Discussion
Although much effort has been taken to prevent anemia
in Indian women, still the prevalence of anemia during
pregnancy is found to be 87.2% from this study. A study
Annals of Nigerian Medicine / Jan-Jun 2012 / Vol 6 | Issue 1
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Lokare, et al.: Socio-demographic factors associated with anemia in pregnancy
religion itself may not be the cause for this finding, but
probably it works through different dietary patterns,
food taboos, and so on. In India, pregnant Hindu
women are advised to avoid non vegetarian diet during
pregnancy as it generates heat. Low socioeconomic
status was associated with a higher prevalence of
anemia in pregnancy. A cross-sectional study in New
Delhi had revealed that there was a trend of decreasing
severity of anemia with higher per capita income as
found in the present study.[19] In the present study, it
was found that anemia increases steadily with decrease
in the level of educational attainment. One study found
that anemia was most common in illiterate women
(53.7%) as compared with 37.1% in literate women.[12] A
study conducted in 7 states with similar sample used in
National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -2had observed
an association between the literacy status of husband
with anemia in pregnant women.[10]
Unfavorable sociodemographic factors are the major
barriers to the efforts in place for the prevention of anemia
during pregnancy. Educating the women only will not
produce any desirable change but increasing the degree
of literacy of the family will definitely help to solve this
problem. The educational status of the husbands and
the women are equally important factors as it makes
the couple receptive to the advice given by the health
staff. Therefore, there is a need for dietary counseling
and nutritional education in antenatal clinics to tackle
the issue of anemia in pregnancy with missionary zeal,
innovative approach, and evidence-based interventions.
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Cite this article as: Lokare PO, Karanjekar VD, Gattani PL, Kulkarni AP.
A study of prevalence of anemia and sociodemographic factors associated
with anemia among pregnant women in Aurangabad city, India. Ann Nigerian
Med 2012;6:30-4.
Source of Support: Nil. Conflict of Interest: None declared.