Is Maternal Anemia among Tribal Women being Neglected? A Study from Southern Rajasthan
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Date
2022-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wolters Kluwer – Medknow
Abstract
Poor birth outcomes have been linked to maternal anemia. Tribal women are at higher risk of malnutrition and disease due to sociocultural barriers and poor educational status. The data on the prevalence of maternal anemia and its associated factors among pregnant tribal women are limited. A community‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted among 429 pregnant tribal women for maternal anemia from August 2021 to June 2022. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect sociodemographic data. The prevalence of anemia was 85.7%, with a mean hemoglobin level of 9.21 ± 1.3 g/dL. On applying WHO 2011 anemia criteria for pregnant women, 25.0% had mild anemia, 73.4% had moderate anemia, and 1.6% had severe anemia. The significant factors associated with anemic condition were household condition, monthly income, and husband’s occupation. The higher prevalence of anemia among pregnant tribal women is alarming that necessitates a rethinking of health infrastructure and outreach in tribal dominant areas.
Description
Keywords
Anemia, iron deficiency, pregnancy, prevalence, tribal women
Citation
Dwivedi R, Goel AD, Vyas V, Sharma PP, Bhardwaj P, Singh K. Is Maternal Anemia among Tribal Women being Neglected? A Study from Southern Rajasthan. Indian Journal of Public Health. 2023 Jun; 67(2): 313-315