PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN RECEIVING ANTENATAL CARE IN PESHAWAR TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Introduction: Anemia, which mostly affects young children, pregnant and postpartum women, Pregnancy anemia is a major threat to the health of women and fetus across the world, the risk of Anemia is multifactorial in pregnancy. The study aims to evaluate the Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the Prevalence of anemia among pregnant women receiving antenatal care while the secondary was to identify the socio-demographic factors associated with anemia in pregnant women such as age, education, socio economic status. Design: A cross-sectional institution-based approach was employed; a questionnaire-based method was used to assess anemia and its associated factors. Method: The study was conducted at Khyber teaching hospital (KTH) Peshawar from September to December 2024. A sample of 100 pregnant women was included, and various demographic and lifestyle factors were assessed. Results: In the study of 100 participants, 47.0% were found to be anemic and 53.0% participants were non-anemic. Among the anemic participants 35 (74.5%) were educated 12 (25.5%) were uneducated. Among the non-anemic participants 44 (83%) were educated 9 (17%) were uneducated. Among the anemic participants 40 (85%) were housewives 7 (15%) were employed. Among the non-anemic participants 31 (58.5%) were housewives 22 (41.5%) were employed. Conclusion: The study reveal a high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in Peshawar, accompanied by significant associations between anemia and socioeconomic variables, particularly employment status. The persistence of anemia among participants with high educational attainment illustrates the complexity of the condition and the limitations posed by education alone in addressing this health issue.