title: Iron supplementation among pregnant women: results from a population-based survey study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the prevalence and risk factors associated with iron supplementation among pregnant women in the municipality of Rio Grande, Southern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  All mothers living in this municipality who had children in 2007 were surveyed for demographic, socioeconomic and health care received during pregnancy and childbirth. The statistical analysis consisted of Poisson regression with robust adjustment of variance, and the measure of effect was prevalence ratio (PR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 2,557 mothers interviewed (99% of total), 59% were supplemented with iron during pregnancy period. After adjusting for various confounding factors, a higher PR to iron supplementation was observed among teenagers, women with black skin color, primigravidae, who had six or more antenatal visits, who performed prenatal care in public sector and received vitamin during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a clear need to increase the iron supplementation coverage of all pregnant women, especially among those currently considered with low gestational risk.
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juraci Almeida
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cesar
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Samuel de Carvalho
authors.initials: Sde C
authors.lastname: Dumith
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Aurora Dropa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chrestani
authors.affiliation: Division of Population Health, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raul Andrés
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mendoza-Sassi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; C020748:ferrous sulfate