ABSTRACT
Background: Nutritional anaemia is defined as a condition in which the haemoglobin content of the blood is lower than normal as a result of deficiency of one or more essential nutrients. Anaemia is the late manifestation of deficiency of nutrient(s) needed for haemoglobin synthesis. The prevalence of anaemia in developing countries is estimated to be 43% and that of developed countries is 9%. Anaemia is estimated to contribute to more than 115000 maternal deaths and 591000 prenatal deaths globally per year. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of anaemia among the pregnant women and lactating mothers and to explore the associated factors with anaemia.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among pregnant and lactating women in Ukkali a rural field practice area Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Vijayapur. Criteria for inclusion were pregnant women- current pregnancy of more than 6 months and lactating mother with child aged up to 6 months of age. Estimation of haemoglobin was carried by standard Sahlis pipette method. Anaemia was classified according to WHO grading criteria.Results: The maximum number of pregnant women (85.71%) in the age group of 35-49 years was anaemic followed by those who were in the age group of 20-34 years (61.54%). Prevalence of anaemia was 72 % in women of less than 20 years, whereas it was as high as 80% among lactating women of 35-49 years age group.Conclusions: Anaemia continues to be a problem with the existing health care resources. Socio-economic status, literacy of women and awareness related to health concerns are the major determinants that contribute to the problem of anaemia.