Prevalence of Anaemia among Pregnant Women in a Rural Area of Bangladesh: Impact of Socio-economic Factors, Food Intake, and Micronutrient Supplementation

Anaemia during pregnancy is a major health problem throughout the world. The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy is 41.8% globally and 46% in Bangladesh. It affects both the mother and the baby simultaneously. Women often become anaemic during pregnancy because the demand for iron is increased due to the physiological need for pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Savar Gonoshasthaya Kendra project area in Dhaka district. Ninety-Five pregnant women of different gestational ages were selected purposively. Haemoglobin level was estimated by cyanomeath haemoglobin method in the laboratory of Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College Hospital, Savar. Among 95 pregnant women, 41.1% was in 20-24 years age group. The mean age of the respondents was 23.74 years. In terms of socio-economic status, 54.7% of the respondents came from lower middle-class family. 7.4% of the respondents had no formal education, 54.7% had primary level education and only 6.3% had higher education. Maximum of the respondents (88.4%) were housewife. This study revealed that the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women was 51.6%. Among 51.6 % of the anaemic respondents, 23.2% were mildly anaemic, 26.3% were moderately anaemic and 2.1% were severely anaemic.