Exploring The Prevalence And Factors Associated With Anaemia In Pregnancy; A Cross-sectional Study At Tema General Hospital In The Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Anemia during pregnancy has been observed s one of the most common indirect obstetric causes of maternal mortality globally with the heaviest toll in the developing world. It is responsible for poor maternal and fetal outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and explore factors associated with anaemia in pregnancy among antenatal care (ANC) attendees to the Tema General Hospital in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 422 pregnant women between the ages 15-49 years, who attended the ANC clinic at the Tema General Hospital. A structured questionnaire was used to ascertain data on socio-demographic and economic, obstetric characteristics, health conditions, consumption of iron-containing foods, knowledge on anaemia, first and current haemoglobin recording of all participants. Results: Out of the 422 pregnant women who participated in the study, 171(41%) were found to be anaemic (Hb:<11 g/dl) with a mean Hb level of 11.05g/dl. Two hundred and fifty one representing 59.5% had no anaemia (Hb: ≥ 11g/dl), ninety (21%) were mildly anaemic (Hb: 9.0—10.9g/dl), seventy eight (18.5%) were moderately anaemic (Hb: 7.0 – 8.9g/dl) and three (1%) (Hb < 7g/dl) were severely anaemic. Bivariate analysis showed that age, marital status, occupation, family income and source of information from media were statistically significant. After adjustment for other covariates in a multiple logistic regression model, it was revealed that age, source of information from either a health worker or from the media and interpregnancy interval were statistically significant in predicting the anaemic condition of the expecting mother. Conclusion: There was a notably high prevalence of anaemia at Tema General Hospital over the study period. Adolescent and reproductive health education should, therefore, be encouraged at all levels care-seeking periods and information from health workers to pregnant women should be individualized and targeted towards available resources.