Assessment of Risk Factors for Women with Iron Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy

Background: Globally, iron insufficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency and the primary cause of anemia. Iron deficiency can result in maternal anemia and decreased infant iron reserves due to increased iron demand during pregnancy. Objective: The study was designed to assess the risk factors encountered during pregnancy among pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on one hundred pregnant women enrolled on the health care centers who were diagnosed as anemic. The data were obtained from all through direct interviews using a special questionnaire covering the sociodemographic characteristics, diet habits, and supplements taken during pregnancy. The one-way ANOVA test analysis was done to see the association of each variable with the anemia severity. The probability value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results indicated that there was no statistically significant relation between iron deficiency anemia and all the socio-demographic characteristics which included; age, parity, educational level, occupation, family size, and gestational age. While there is a highly statistically significant relation between iron deficiency anemia and diet habit of pregnant women regarding the frequency of intake of meats, fishes, vegetables, and fruits at p-value = 0.001, intake pulse at p-value = 0.012, intake of nuts at p-value = 0.021, and drinking tea at p-value = 0.001. Conclusion: Educating pregnant women to eat iron-rich foods may be useful as a strategy for reducing iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, also using of iron supplements, folic acid and vitamin B12 is regarded as a successful way to treat anemia.