Community Based Study of Rural Tribal Women’s Prepregnancy Health

Background: In addition to health during pregnancy, labour, post-birth, an optimal state of physical and mental health at the onset of pregnancy is essential for health of women and their babies during pregnancy, birth, and post birth over decades. The concept of preconception health has been old; however it has received little attention until recently. There has now been momentum because of persisting sufferings of women during pregnancy, birth and beyond in spite of best of care during pregnancy. Objective: Present community based study was conducted to know about prepregnancy health, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (Hb), any major illnesses in women of a remote rural region. Material and methods: After the institution’s ethics committee’s approval, community based study was conducted in 100 villages with health facilities in forestry and hilly regions. Total 2400 women of reproductive age, likely to have pregnancy were included randomly, minimum 20 from each village to get information as per objective. Results: Among 2400 women, 22.8% had low BMI, 56.6% normal, 26.6% high BMI, 10% women had <5gm/dl Hb, 20.5% ≥ 5 but <7 gm/dl Hb, 33.7% ≥ 7 but <9 gm/dl Hb, 12% Hb ≥ 9 but <11gm/dl Hb, 23.6% women had Hb ≥ 11gm/dl Hb. Total 12.1% women had hypertension, 8.4% had diabetes, 79.5% had other disorders, mostly anemia. Conclusion: There were 22.8% underweight tribal women with chances of other nutritional deficiencies, 30.54% had severe and 33.75% had moderate anemia, 10% had alarming very severe anemia, real cause of concern. Government health providers need to identify various disorders of prepregnancy which can become dangerous during pregnancy, birth, post birth for both mother and baby. It is also important to address them in later life through various preventive and therapeutic interventions.