Anemia in pregnant women of Khmer ethnicity visiting the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital of Tra Vinh province in 2023

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), anemia is a condition where the hemoglobin concentration in red blood cells is lower than normal. A cross-sectional surveyed 182 Khmer pregnant women attending the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital in Tra Vinh province from June 2023 to August 2023 aimed to determine the prevalence and describe some factors related to anemia in these women. The results of the survey revealed that 26 pregnant women were anemic, accounting for 14.29%, with 8.79% having mild anemia and 5.49% having moderate anemia. Some factors affected low economic conditions (PR = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.82 - 4.96), pregnant women with more than 2 pregnancies had a rate of anemia 2.39 times higher than first pregnancies (95% CI: 1.03 - 5.55), pregnant women with a history of 1 miscarriage had a rate of anemia 3.46 times higher than women who had never had a miscarriage (95% CI: 1.97 - 6.09), history of the digestive disease (PR = 4, 95% CI: 1.81 - 8.83), adequate nutrition (PR = 7.5, 95% CI: 5.17 - 10.88), pregnant women occasionally ate fruits containing vitamins The rate of anemia is 0.18 times higher than that of people who rarely eat (95% CI: 0.12 - 0.26) and those who drink coffee (PR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.06 - 17.51). The health sector needs to communicate to improve knowledge about nutrition, family planning methods, and support to improve the economic conditions of pregnant women’s families.