Risk Factors for Anemia in Adolescent Pregnancies: Evidence From the Lembah Pantai Urban Health District in Malaysia

Introduction Adolescent pregnant mothers are at higher risk of acquiring anemia during pregnancy, which has detrimental consequences for the mother and baby. Untreated and prolonged anemia can lead to perinatal morbidity and mortality and antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum maternal morbidity. Anemia among adolescent pregnant mothers can be attributed to many factors, such as poor nutrition and the physiological demands of pregnancy. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of anemia among adolescent pregnancies in Lembah Pantai Health District in an urban setting. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from registry records of adolescent pregnant mothers in the Lembah Pantai District Health Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2019 to 2022. All adolescent pregnancies aged 10 to 19 years were included in this study. Those with a prior diagnosis of thalassemia or other hematological disorders, as indicated in their medical records, were excluded from the study. The chi-square (χ²) test was applied to elicit the association at a univariate level, and those variables with a p-value of <0.25 were included in a multiple logistic regression model. Results A total of 307 records were reviewed, and 272 pregnant adolescent cases were eligible for the analyses. The prevalence of anemia among teenage pregnancies from 2019 to 2022 was 28.7% (95% CI: 23.0-33.6). This prevalence was lower than in many lower-income countries and developing countries. Factors that were significant on using multiple logistic regression analysis included marital status (unmarried) (AOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.01-3.45, p=0.046), residing area Seputeh (AOR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.14-0.61, p=0.001), and third trimester of first antenatal visit/booking (AOR: 5.08, 95% CI: 2.02-12.70, p<0.001). The population in the Seputeh area has a higher overall household income in comparison to Lembah Pantai. Conclusions According to the WHO classification, the prevalence of anemia among adolescent pregnant women at the Lembah Pantai District Health Office reflects a moderate public health issue. Consequently, anemia may exacerbate the impact of other health conditions in this population. Hence, local health authorities should ensure that anemia is adequately addressed without ignoring other crucial health issues. A multidisciplinary, comprehensive, holistic strategy involving healthcare providers, school health teams, and community assets offers a potential solution. Strategies that can be employed include providing targeted health and nutrition education in schools through school health teams. Additionally, establishing adolescent-friendly health clinics tailored to the specific needs of pregnant adolescents and enhancing antenatal services to ensure comprehensive screening and management of anemia should also be implemented. Hence, this will ensure achieving safe motherhood goals through an effective healthcare response.