PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF ANEMIA AMONG ANTENATAL WOMEN ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Anemia in pregnancy remains one of the most common nutritional deficiency disorders in low- and middleincomecountries and is a major contributor to maternal morbidity, low birth weight, and adverse perinatal outcomes. Hospitalbasedestimates of its prevalence and severity are essential to guide local antenatal care and iron-folic acid (IFA)supplementation strategies. The objectives to estimate the prevalence and severity of anemia among antenatal women attendingthe antenatal outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital, and to determine its association with selected sociodemographic,obstetric, and dietary factors. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 220antenatal women in the second and third trimesters, enrolled by consecutive sampling. Data on sociodemographic profile,obstetric history, dietary pattern, and IFA compliance were collected using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire, andhemoglobin (Hb) was estimated for every participant. Anemia was defined as Hb <11 g/dL and graded per WHO criteria asmild (10.0–10.9 g/dL), moderate (7.0–9.9 g/dL), or severe (<7.0 g/dL). Association between anemia and categorical variableswas tested using the chi-square test, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated for key exposures;p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of anemia was 65.0% (143/220). Of the anemicwomen, 43.4% had mild, 44.8% had moderate, and 11.9% had severe anemia (mild and moderate anemia together accountedfor 28.2% and 29.1% of the total study population respectively, and severe anemia accounted for 7.7%). Mean Hb wassignificantly lower in women who were not compliant with IFA supplementation. Irregular or absent IFA intake, ruralresidence, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with a higher proportion of anemia, though not all associationsreached statistical significance in this sample (see Results). Conclusion: Nearly two-thirds of antenatal women attending thistertiary care hospital were anemic, with a substantial proportion having moderate-to-severe disease. Strengthening IFAsupplementation compliance, early antenatal registration, and targeted counselling for rural and low-socioeconomic-statuswomen may help reduce the burden of anemia in this population