title: Correlates of anaemia in pregnant urban South Indian women: a possible role of dietary intake of nutrients that inhibit iron absorption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify correlates of anaemia during the first trimester of pregnancy among 366 urban South Indian pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study evaluating demographic, socio-economic, anthropometric and dietary intake data on haematological outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A government maternity health-care centre catering predominantly to the needs of pregnant women from the lower socio-economic strata of urban Bangalore.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women (n 366) aged ≥18 and ≤40 years, who registered for antenatal screening at ≤14 weeks of gestation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 22·6 (sd 3·4) years, mean BMI was 20·4 (sd 3·3) kg/m2 and 236 (64·5 %) of the pregnant women were primiparous. The prevalence of anaemia (Hb <11·0 g/dl) was 30·3 % and of microcytic anaemia (anaemia with mean corpuscular volume <80 fl) 20·2 %. Mean dietary intakes of energy, Ca, Fe and folate were well below the Indian RDA. In multivariable log-binomial regression analysis, anaemia was independently associated with high dietary intakes of Ca (relative risk; 95 % CI: 1·79; 1·16, 2·76) and P (1·96; 1·31, 2·96) and high intake of meat, fish and poultry (1·94; 1·29, 2·91).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low dietary intake of multiple micronutrients, but higher intakes of nutrients that inhibit Fe absorption such as Ca and P, may help explain high rates of maternal anaemia in India.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, St John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Tinu Mary
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Tinku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: Ramya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajendran
authors.forename: Suvi M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: Krishnamachari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Anura V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kurpad
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duggan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D010758:Phosphorus; D005492:Folic Acid