Anaemia and Its Determinants among Pregnant Women Attending for Accessing Antenatal Care in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Anaemia is a major cause of maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries and Bangladesh. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and its contributing factors among pregnant women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 260 pregnant women were included in this study, recruited from two healthcare facilities in Dhaka. The primary outcome of interest was the presence or absence of anaemia (yes or no). The exposure variables encompassed various characteristics related to the women, their partners, and the community. To investigate the associations between the outcome and exposure variables, multivariate logistic regression techniques were employed. The findings revealed that two-thirds of the pregnant women in the study were anemic. Notable socio-demographic determinants of anaemia included women aged between 21 and 30 years, unemployment, residing in households with lower wealth, and not taking iron supplements during the current pregnancy. Additionally, a history of previous abortions was identified as a risk factor for anaemia during pregnancy. The prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in Bangladesh is notably high. There is a pressing need for improvements in the provision of antenatal care and other healthcare services to address this issue effectively.