Evaluation of anemia among pregnant women in a hilly district of western Nepal: A hospital based cross-sectional study

Iron deficiency anemia remains a significant public health concern, particularly among pregnant women and children. The prevalence of anemia is higher in lower middle income countries including Nepal. Despite government efforts, progress in reducing anemia in the last 15 years has been slow, especially in remote hilly regions. While investing in anemia control can yield substantial economic returns, there have not been adequate studies to cover diverse geographical areas of Nepal. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anemia in a hilly district of western Nepal. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among the 350 pregnant women visiting for ante natal checkup in Burtibang primary hospital from July 15, 2022 to Jan 15, 2023. The factors associated with the prevalence of anemia was calculated by using multivariate logistics regression analysis at P < .05 and ANOVA test was done to calculate the differences in hemoglobin level across the different characteristics of the pregnant women. More than 2 out of 5 pregnant women (43.1%) had anemia with 57.6% having mild anemia and 42.4% of the women having moderate to severe level of anemia. The mean Hb level of the pregnant women was 10.8 (+/- 1.0) g/dL. Women on second (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03-0.11) and third trimester of their pregnancy (aOR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.02-0.16) had lower odds of having anemia. A moderate level of correlation of Hb level with the gestational age (R = 0.574, P value: <.001) was seen in the study. The prevalence of anemia is a serious public health problem among the women visiting ante natal checkup in Burtibang hospital. Later trimester of the pregnancy had higher risks of having anemia in comparison to the first and the gestational age of the women was a significant predictor of Hb level among the population.