Abstract:
INTRODUCTION
Anaemia in pregnancy has been recognized as a public health problem of importance, especially in the developing world. This is due to related adverse outcomes among pregnant women and the unborn. However, the epidemiology of anaemia in pregnancy is unknown locally. This study sought to establish the prevalence and determinants of anaemia among pregnant women in a referral hospital in coastal Kenya.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 191 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) at Kilifi County Referral Hospital. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data and data was analysed using STATA version 15. Descriptive statistics were used to describe selected variables and logistic regression was used to determine the significance of factors associated with anaemia.
RESULTS
The prevalence of anaemia was 54% with factors associated with increased odds of anaemia being household size (AOR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.01-1.59, p=0.04), history of malaise and fever (AOR 9.69, 95%CI: 2.34-40.11, P < 0.01). Factors associated with reduced odds of anaemia were; food frequency (AOR 0.23, 95%CI: 0.1-0.51, P < 0.01), increased intake of vegetables and fruits (AOR 0.47, 95%CI: 0.34-0.47, P < 0.001), and red meat (AOR 0.39, 95%CI: 0.23-0.67, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
The relatively high prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care suggests that anaemia is still a significant public health problem in Coastal Kenya. Increased household size and, a history of malaise and fever, were positively associated with anaemia while food frequency, vegetables, fruits and red meat intake were associated with a reduced likelihood of developing anaemia. Therefore, the ministries of health and other healthcare stakeholders at the county and national levels should enhance the supply of iron supplements at Kilifi County Hospital and other community-based health facilities targeted for pregnant women. Moreover, nurses and clinicians should intensify health education on anaemia in pregnancy from early antenatal clinic visits for pregnant mothers.
