title: Anaemia in pregnant, postpartum and non pregnant women in Lak district, Daklak province of Vietnam.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine anaemia prevalence and related factors in pregnant women (PW), post partum women (PPW) and non pregnant women (NPW) in a remote mountainous district.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2001. All PW, all PPW within 6 months of delivery and a random number of NPW equivalents to the number of PW in each commune were selected. Hemoglobin (Hb) was measured using Hemocue method. Mild anaemia was defined as Hb=7 g/dL-11 g/dL in PW, and 8 g/dL-12 g/dL in NPW and PPW. Severe anaemia was defined as Hb<7 g/dL in PW, and<8 g/dL in NPW and PPW. Pregnancy status was determined using urine pregnancy test and calculation of expected menstruum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 901 women surveyed: 281 PW, 348 PPW and 272 NPW. More than half (58%) were anaemic: 54% mild and 4% severe. Mean Hb was 11.1g/dL. More PPW had anaemia (62%; OR=1.4; 95%CI=1.1-2.1 compared to NPW) than NPW (54%) and PW (53%). Other related factors were being BoY, Ede and Koho ethnics (OR=2.7; 95%CI=1.4-5.0 compared to Kinh ethnic), having primary education or lower (OR=1.5; 95%CI=1.1-2.1 compared to secondary education or higher). Among PW, being pregnant during the third trimester increased anaemia (OR=2.2; 95%CI=1.3-3.8 compared to being pregnant during the second trimester). Among PPW, women aged 30 or older were more anaemic (OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.1-2.9 compared to women aged 20-29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anaemia prevalence was very high. Interventions should be focused on PPW, PW during the last trimester, minority ethnic women, low-educated and older women.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services Research, University of Sydney and Western Sydney Area Health Service, Australia. lieu@cmed.wsahs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Lieu Thi Thuy
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dibley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008913:Minority Groups; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins