Science Journal of Public Health

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Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya

Received: 08 April 2014    Accepted: 08 May 2014    Published: 20 May 2014
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Abstract

Anaemia in expectant women is a serious world-wide public health problem with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Haematological parameters indicative of pregnancy anaemia need to be investigated to provide basis for prompt management of anaemia in pregnancy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant mothers of various age groups and at different gestation periods visiting antenatal clinic at a county level 5 hospital. The ages of recruited participants ranged from 16 to 40 years with a mean age of 26.8 ± 4.3 years. A total of 320 blood samples were collected during the first and subsequent visits to antenatal clinic from January to December 2013. The age, marital, socio-economic status, highest level of education, stages of each pregnancy of each participant were recorded. Haemoglobin estimation was done using a HemoCue® B-Hemoglobin system and positive anaemia cases were classified as mild, moderate, severe and very severe based on the world health organization criteria. The haemoglobin concentrations ranged from 6.5 g/dl – 15.5 g/dl with a mean of 10.2 ± 1.3g/dl. Data was analysed using the Chi-square test and Odds ratio. Out of all blood samples analyzed, 128 (40%) were anaemic of which 62.5% (n=80) were mildly anaemic cases whereas 37.5% (n=48) were moderately anaemic and no severe anaemic cases were detected. Anaemia was more prevalent (33.3% -60%) in second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Study results confirm that socio-economic deprivation and lack of basic education are important factors that predispose pregnant women to anaemia. Anaemia levels reported are low but persistent and present a potentially serious public health problem to the mother, foetal growth and delivery outcome and therefore require serious attention. It is recommended that the county government initiates free iron supplementation and enlist services of extension nutritionists in an integrated programme for the prevention and management of pregnancy related anaemia.

DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23
Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 2, Issue 3, May 2014)
Page(s) 216-222
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Anaemia, Pregnancy, Prevalence, Public Health

References
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Author Information
  • Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, Kakamega, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, Kakamega, Kenya

  • College of Health Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya

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    Mulambalah Chrispinus Siteti, Siamba Donald Namasaka, Ogutu Philip Ariya, Siteti Darwin Injete, Wekesa Antony Wanyonyi. (2014). Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya. Science Journal of Public Health, 2(3), 216-222. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23

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    Mulambalah Chrispinus Siteti; Siamba Donald Namasaka; Ogutu Philip Ariya; Siteti Darwin Injete; Wekesa Antony Wanyonyi. Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya. Sci. J. Public Health 2014, 2(3), 216-222. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23

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    AMA Style

    Mulambalah Chrispinus Siteti, Siamba Donald Namasaka, Ogutu Philip Ariya, Siteti Darwin Injete, Wekesa Antony Wanyonyi. Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya. Sci J Public Health. 2014;2(3):216-222. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23,
      author = {Mulambalah Chrispinus Siteti and Siamba Donald Namasaka and Ogutu Philip Ariya and Siteti Darwin Injete and Wekesa Antony Wanyonyi},
      title = {Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {2},
      number = {3},
      pages = {216-222},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140203.23},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20140203.23},
      abstract = {Anaemia in expectant women is a serious world-wide public health problem with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Haematological parameters indicative of pregnancy anaemia need to be investigated to provide basis for prompt management of anaemia in pregnancy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant mothers of various age groups and at different gestation periods visiting antenatal clinic at a county level 5 hospital. The ages of recruited participants ranged from 16 to 40 years with a mean age of 26.8 ± 4.3 years. A total of 320 blood samples were collected during the first and subsequent visits to antenatal clinic from January to December 2013. The age, marital, socio-economic status, highest level of education, stages of each pregnancy of each participant were recorded. Haemoglobin estimation was done using a HemoCue® B-Hemoglobin system and positive anaemia cases were classified as mild, moderate, severe and very severe based on the world health organization criteria. The haemoglobin concentrations ranged from 6.5 g/dl – 15.5 g/dl with a mean of 10.2 ± 1.3g/dl. Data was analysed using the Chi-square test and Odds ratio. Out of all blood samples analyzed, 128 (40%) were anaemic of which 62.5% (n=80) were mildly anaemic cases whereas 37.5% (n=48) were moderately anaemic and no severe anaemic cases were detected.  Anaemia was more prevalent (33.3% -60%) in second and third trimesters of pregnancy.  Study results confirm that socio-economic deprivation and lack of basic education are important factors that predispose pregnant women to anaemia. Anaemia levels reported are low but persistent and present a potentially serious public health problem to the mother, foetal growth and delivery outcome and therefore require serious attention. It is recommended that the county government initiates free iron supplementation and enlist services of extension nutritionists in an integrated programme for the prevention and management of pregnancy related anaemia.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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    T1  - Anaemia in Pregnancy: Prevalence and Possible Risk Factors in Kakamega County, Kenya
    AU  - Mulambalah Chrispinus Siteti
    AU  - Siamba Donald Namasaka
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    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
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    AB  - Anaemia in expectant women is a serious world-wide public health problem with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Haematological parameters indicative of pregnancy anaemia need to be investigated to provide basis for prompt management of anaemia in pregnancy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant mothers of various age groups and at different gestation periods visiting antenatal clinic at a county level 5 hospital. The ages of recruited participants ranged from 16 to 40 years with a mean age of 26.8 ± 4.3 years. A total of 320 blood samples were collected during the first and subsequent visits to antenatal clinic from January to December 2013. The age, marital, socio-economic status, highest level of education, stages of each pregnancy of each participant were recorded. Haemoglobin estimation was done using a HemoCue® B-Hemoglobin system and positive anaemia cases were classified as mild, moderate, severe and very severe based on the world health organization criteria. The haemoglobin concentrations ranged from 6.5 g/dl – 15.5 g/dl with a mean of 10.2 ± 1.3g/dl. Data was analysed using the Chi-square test and Odds ratio. Out of all blood samples analyzed, 128 (40%) were anaemic of which 62.5% (n=80) were mildly anaemic cases whereas 37.5% (n=48) were moderately anaemic and no severe anaemic cases were detected.  Anaemia was more prevalent (33.3% -60%) in second and third trimesters of pregnancy.  Study results confirm that socio-economic deprivation and lack of basic education are important factors that predispose pregnant women to anaemia. Anaemia levels reported are low but persistent and present a potentially serious public health problem to the mother, foetal growth and delivery outcome and therefore require serious attention. It is recommended that the county government initiates free iron supplementation and enlist services of extension nutritionists in an integrated programme for the prevention and management of pregnancy related anaemia.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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