Reproductive and socio-economic correlates of maternal haemoglobin levels in a rural area of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

The effects of pregnancy, lactation, and socio-economic status on maternal haemoglobin levels among the Au, a foraging and small-scale horticultural population of Papua New Guinea, are examined. The sample consists of 259 parous women, 41 of whom reside in wage-earning households and 218 of whom reside in households practicing traditional subsistence activities. The haemoglobin level among the total sample averages an extraordinarily low 8.6 g/dl and the prevalence of anaemia as defined using current WHO standards is just over 98%. Wage-earning Au, however, have significantly higher haemoglobin levels and lower rates of anaemia than their traditional counterparts. Haemoglobin levels decline significantly during pregnancy by just over 1 g/dl among both socioeconomic groups, but soon return to pre-gravid levels postpartum. No significant effects of lactation on haemoglobin levels are found, nor does the population show any long-term, parity-specific trends in haemoglobin levels.