Nutritional Factors Affecting the Prevalence of Anemia among Pregnant Women in Lucknow

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the role of micronutrient intake on prevalence of anemia amongst pregnant women in Lucknow. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Study Area: Urban and rural areas of Lucknow. Study Subjects: A total of 420 pregnant women of reproductive age group. Results: The overall prevalence of anemia was 73.1% among the pregnant women. Of these, the moderate anemia was found in 47.6% women, mild anemia was 43.6% and severe anemia was 8.8%. The prevalence of anemia was lower in married women as compared to divorced/widow women (RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.59-1.42, p = 0.73). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the women who were in 4-6 months (OR = 4.51, 95% CI = 1.95-10.43, p<0.0001) and more than 6 months (OR = 12.14, 95% CI = 4.77-30.90, p<0.0001) of gestational age had highest odds of being anemic when compared to those who were in 1-3 months of gestational age, after controlling for socio-demographic, and BMI variables in the model. The illiterate women had higher risk of being anemic as compared to literates (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.36-4.30, p<0.0001) after controlling for socio-demographic, micronutrient intake and BMI variables in the model. Other factors studied, were not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The micronutrient intake was lower in the studied population and it was found to be significantly associated with problem of anemia amongst pregnant women.