title: Anemia associated with asymptomatic malaria among pregnant women in the rural surroundings of Arba Minch Town, South Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anemia during pregnancy is a well known medical condition most of the time under-recognized as it is overshadowed by the normal physiological condition during pregnancy. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of anemia among pregnant women residing in the rural surroundings of Arbaminch Town, south Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional community based study was conducted between April and June, 2013. A structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. Hematocrit (HCT) level was determined to classify the pregnant women as anemic and non-anemic. Diagnosis of asymptomatic malaria parasitemia was done by Giemsa stained blood smear microscopy. HCT < 33%, (HCT ≥ 30% & < 33%), (HCT ≥ 21% & < 30%), and HCT < 21% was used to indicate anemia, mild anemia, moderate anemia, and severe anemia respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 341 pregnant women participated in this study, out of which 118 (34.6%) were anemic. The median age of the pregnant women was 25 years (Inter-quartile range: 23-29). The mean HCT was 35.2% (95% CI: 34.6%-35.8%) with SD of ±5.5%. Of those 118 anemic women; 73(61.9%) were mildly anemic, 38(32.2%) were moderately anemic, and 7(5.9%) were found to be severely anemic. The prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasitemia was 9.1% (31/341). The odds of being anemic were 15.72 times [AOR: 15.72, 95% CI (3.97, 62.22), P-value ≤ 0.001] more likely to occur in parasitemic individuals relative to the non parasitemic pregnant women. Not using insecticide treated bed net (ITN) was a significant predictor of anemia among the pregnant women [AOR: 3, 95% CI: (1.72, 5.22), P < 0.001].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlighted the significant association between anemia and asymptomatic malaria among pregnant women in the study area. Therefore, the practice of routine screening for malaria and anemia followed by prompt management should be encouraged to curb the effect of malaria and anemia on the pregnant women as well as her fetus. Further studies should also be in place to test the effectiveness of routine screening for malaria and anemia followed by prompt management.
authors.affiliation: Malaria and Other Parasitic and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Team, Directorate Of Parasitic, Bacterial and Zoonotic Diseases Research, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 1242/5654, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. desalegn24@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Desalegn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nega
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia. daniel.dana@ju.edu.et.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dana
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia. nagaakoo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tamirat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tefera
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Pathology, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia. teferi.eshetu@ju.edu.et.
authors.forename: Teferi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eshetu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D055815:Young Adult