PREVALENCE AND LEVEL OF ANEMIA AMONG PREGNANT MOTHERS ATTENDING ANTENATAL CARE IN SPHMMC: A RETROSPECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Anemia is one of the most frequent complications related to pregnancy. Worldwide millions of pregnant women are affected by anemia with different antenatal and postnatal complications to themselves and their newborns. Objectives: To determine prevalence and level of anemia among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care at SPHMMC in September 2015- September 2016. Methods: A descriptive cros-sectional study was conducted among pregnant mothers who visited ANC at SPHMMC from September 2015-september 2016G.C. A total sample size of 290 was selected by systematic random sampling method. Data was collected from charts of patients who visited ANC of SPHMMC during the study period. After the data entered to SPSS 21 different socio-demographic variables was analyzed for different descriptive statistics and presented with different graphs and tables. An approval and ethical clearance was acquired from the department prior to the beginning of the research. Result: Two hundred and eighty-two study subjects were included in the study with the response rate of 97.2%. The age of the study participants ranges from 17-42 with mean age of 26 + 4.47. Most of the study subjects are in the age range of 21-30 years. Residence frequency shows that 163(57.8%) live in AA while 119(42.2%) are from outside AA. Among the study subjects 77(27.3%) had no previous pregnancy while 97(34.3%) of them had no children. Two hundred and four(72.3%) visited the hospital during the third trimester. Among the total study subjects the hemoglobin level is found to be in the range of anemia in 74(26.2%) of the total study subjects. These pregnant women with anemia were in their third trimester of their pregnancy. The level of anemia was assessed among the study subjects showing 36(48.6%)have mild anemia and the remaining 33(44.5%) have moderate anemia according to the operational definition. Conclusion: Using the criteria defined by WHO prevalence of anemia was assessed showing the prevalence of anemia among the study subjects is 26.2% of the total study subjects in their third trimester of their pregnancy. Key words: Anemia, trimester, pregnant , SPHMMC