International Journal of Nursing

Prevalence and risk factors of Anaemia among Pregnant Women Consulted to the Reproductive Health Care unit of H.Dh. Regional Hospital, Maldives
Rahuma Abbas, Mano Priya Vijayan

Abstract
Background: Anaemia is one of the common nutritional disorders during pregnancy and a major cause of maternal death. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 30% of the world’s population are anaemic. The prevalence in developed countries is 14% and in developing countries is 51%. In the Maldives, the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women is 48.5% in 2016. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia in pregnant women of a community in the Maldives. Method: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional survey conducted among 53 pregnant women selected by a simple random sampling method. Data were collected through structured questionnaire forms. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25.0. The P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Haemoglobin classification showed 60.40% normal, 39.60% anaemic. 33.96% of participants were known thalassaemia carriers, amongst them, 61.11% were found to be anaemic with P <0.026. Other factors studied showed no statistically significant association with anaemia. Conclusion: The prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women is 39.60%. Thalassaemia carrier encountered in the population was found to be the main factor associated with the prevalence of maternal anaemia.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijn.v8n24