title: Factors associated with maternal anaemia among pregnant women in Dhaka city.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal anaemia is a common problem in pregnancy, particularly in developing countries. The study was aimed at determining the factors associated with anaemia among a group of pregnant mothers who attended an antenatal clinic in Dhaka city.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 224 pregnant women, who visited the antenatal clinic of the Marie Stops, Dhaka. Demographic data and information on maternal age, gestational age, educational and income level, and socioeconomic status were collected from all the subjects. Haemoglobin status was measured to assess their anaemia. A qualified technician drew venous blood samples from them. The reference values of haemoglobin were categorized according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria as follows: normal (11 g/dL or higher), mild (10-10.9 g/dL), and moderate (7-9.9 g/dL). Mild and moderate levels of haemoglobin were defined as anaemic (haemoglobin levels of <11 g/dL). The SPSS software (Windows version 16.0. SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA) was used for analyzing data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (±SD) age of the subjects was 26.4 ± 2.81 years. Sixty-three percent of the subjects had normal level of haemoglobin, and 37% were anaemic 26% mild and 11% moderate. Maternal anaemia was significantly associated with age (p = 0.036), education (p = 0.002), income (p = 0.001), living area (p = 0.031). Results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that maternal anaemia was also significantly associated with age (p = 0.006), educational status (primary to 8th grade, p = 0.004; secondary and above, p = 0.002), living area (0.022), and income (0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant proportion of pregnant women were found anaemic. Most data showed education has animpact on awareness to use of health services and iron supplementation should be encouraged to improve the haemoglobin levels in pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that anaemia is alarmingly high among pregnant women in Dhaka city. Maternal anaemia is associated with age, education level, income level, and living area. The results suggest that pregnant women and members of their families should be urgently educated to understand the importance of antenatal care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. hachowdhury01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hasina Akhter
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. lopa_birdem@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kazi Rumana
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. runabd2005@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fatema
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jebunessa
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. uttaron_007@yahoo.mail.
authors.forename: Jesmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akter
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. shormybd@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sharmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. mdshahjahan@agnionline.com.
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahjahan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology*; D001459:Bangladesh; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors