Prevalence and determinants of anemia among pregnant women in East Africa; A multi-level analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys

Abstract

Introduction Anemia during pregnancy is a public health problem that leads to different life-threatening complications and poor pregnancy outcomes. So far, the evidence is scarce on pooled prevalence and determinants of anemia during pregnancy in East Africa for integrated intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of anemia among pregnant women in eastern Africa using recent Demographic and Health Surveys. Method Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from recent Demographic and Health Survey datasets from 10 East African countries. A total of 8583 (weighted sample) pregnant women were included in the analysis. The multi-level mixed-effects generalized linear model (Poisson regression with robust error variance) was fitted to identify determinants of anemia. Finally, the adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with 95% CI and random effects for the multilevel generalized linear mixed-effects model was reported. Results In this study, the overall prevalence of anemia among pregnant women was 41.82% (95% CI: 40.78, 42.87) with a large difference between specific countries which ranged from 23.36% in Rwanda to 57.10% in Tanzania. In the multi-level analysis, teenage pregnant women (aPR = 1.22;95%CI:1.02, 1.40), unmarried women (aPR = 1.14; 95% CI;1.02,1.28), pregnant women who had unimproved toilet facility (aPR = 1.17;95%CI:1.06,1.27), and those women from countries with high illiteracy level (aPR = 1.12;95%CI; 1.07,1.18) had a higher prevalence of anemia during pregnancy. Conclusion Anemia is still a public health problem in East Africa. Therefore, enabling the households to have improved toilet facilities by strengthening the existing health extension program, reducing teenage pregnancy, and improving the community literacy level is vital to reduce the prevalence of anemia during pregnancy in East Africa.

Anaemia among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Kyenjojo and Kole Districts in Uganda: Prevalence and Associated Factors

“…This finding agrees with findings in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, [13,17,18,19]. However, this finding was lower than those reported from the systematic review and meta-analysis in Uganda [12,20] and in East Africa [5], other studies in the region [9,21], and the WHO estimate of 40-60 % in developing countries [1]. The prevalence in this study was higher than the studies conducted in Uganda [9,14,22], Ethiopia [23], and Saudi Arabia [24].…”

“…In Africa, more than three percent of maternal mortality are attributed to maternal anaemia [4]. In the East-African region, the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women varies from 23.36% in Rwanda, 38.2% in Uganda, 57.1% in Tanzania, and 57-61% in Kenya [5,6,7,8]. According to Uganda's Demographic and Health Surveys report 2016, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women was 38% in 2016 but with regional variations from 39.3% in Lago region Northern Uganda, 29.4% in Tooro region Mid-Western Uganda, and 16.9% in Kigezi region [9].…”

Effects of anemia during the third trimester of pregnancy on postpartum depression and pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women older than 35 years: a retrospective cohort study

“…The presence of anemia in pregnant women may be different during different gestational periods. According to previous studies, the incidence of anemia in pregnant women during the third trimester is the highest, and the incidence of moderate and severe anemia is significantly higher than that of mild anemia (17,18). In our study, the incidence of anemia was 45.9%, which was similar to previous studies (19), but the proportion of severe anemia was very low, lower than 1% of the total number of pregnant women (20).…”

Benefit of Iron Supplementation with Ferric Sodium EDTA (NaFe <sup>3+</sup>-EDTA) in the Treatment of Anemia during Pregnancy in Democratic Republic of Congo (FERARI Study)

“…The rate of anemic pregnant women found in our study has been quite constant in our setting for years [6] [7], meaning endemicity of anemia among pregnant women in our country. This high rate is common in deprived areas [18] [19] [20], although lower rates have been observed in Tanzania (47%) [21], in Ethiopia (31.7%) [22], and in East Africa (41.82%) [23].…”