Exploration of iron deficiency anemia and its associated factors among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in public health facilities of southwestern Ethiopia. A mixed study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a major problem in Ethiopia, affecting a large part of the population. Despite the importance of the problem, the causes of anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia, among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) in the study area have been little studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate iron deficiency anemia and its associated factors in pregnant women seeking antenatal care in public health facilities in Southwest Ethiopia in 2023.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: A mixed facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving 364 pregnant women from selected health facilities in Ilubabor and Buno Bedele zones. Backward multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between dependent and independent variables, with statistical significance set at a P value less than .05.

RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was found to be 21.4%. Several factors have been significantly associated with iron deficiency anemia including; presence of malaria parasite [AOR=15.8, CI=5.1-48.4], presence of Helminthes [AOR=8.1, CI=2.8-23.9], consumption of leafy vegetables less than once a day [AOR=3.4, CI = 1.5-13.3] and not taking iron supplements/consumption [AOR=2.2, CI=1.1-4.4].

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The overall prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the study area suggests that, it is a moderate public health problem. In order to improve the nutritional status of women, routine and consistent nutritional advice, the establishment of regular preventive systems and the implementation of feedback mechanisms are recommended.