Maternal anaemia and associated factors in Mpwapwa district,Tanzania

maternal anaemia. we cond cted a community based cross-sectional survey in Mpwapva district. A total of 724 pregnant women were studied. Data were collected from the beginning of November ro mid December, 1992. Anaemia, as defined by WI-IO cut-off point of haemoglobin less than I1g/dJ) was recorded in 61 %(441/724) of the study population. Both the prevalence of anaemia and the mean haemoglobin levels decreased gradually as age increased except for age group 20-24 years. However, the mean haemoglobin level was significantly higher among women who reported that they were using iron supplements (11. l g/dl than among those who didn't (l0.3g/dJ) (Student t-statistic = 8.9; p-value < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean haemoglobin levels of subjects who reported that they were using chloroquine chemoprophylaxis (lO.4g/dl) and those who didn't (l0.5g/dl). Subjects who had booked for antenatal clinic had lower prevalence of anaemia 57.2%(299/523) compared with those who had not 70.6% ~ (1421201). The difference 13.4% was statistically significant (95% Cl = 5.8%, ~ , 21 %; Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) Chi-square test = 11.1; p-value = 0.001; df = 1). About 6%(46/724) of the study subjects had multiple parasitic infections, those with malaria parasites or hookworm alone were 9.5%(69/724) and 13.4%(97/724) respecti vel y . .•• l".., •. " ~. 111 Analysis using logistic regression model showed that the significant risk factors avsociated with maternal naernia were age below ?O years '(Odds Ratio (0.:<') ='2.0: 95% Confidence Interval (Cl) = l.35%, 3.0%). malaria (OR = 2.7, 9."% (~I ,= 1.7%, 5.1 %), hookworm (OR helminths (OR = 2.6 95 % Cl 2.3; 95% Cl = 1.3%. 3.8%), other micstinal 1.1 %,6.2%). The risk of anaemia was higher among women who reported that they were using chloroquine chemoprophylaxis than in those who did not (OR = 2.2; 95% Cl = 1.3%, 3.9%). Antenatal clinic attendance and iron supplementation were associated with a reduction of risk of anaemia by 30% and 57% respectively. In conclusion, maternal anaemia is a major public health problem in Mpwapwa district. Measures to its control should concentrate on pre-pregnancy deworming , increasing use of antenatal clinic and iron supplementation during pregnancy