Prevalence and Determinants of Anaemia during Pregnancy in the Central Region of Burkina Faso: Case of the Malaria Peak and Harvesting Period

Abstract

Anaemia is a global public health problem that particularly affects pregnant women and children. Anaemia during pregnancy has harmful consequences for the health of both mother and foetus. However, little is known about the risk factors for targeted interventions. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anaemia in pregnant women in the central region of Burkina Faso at the time of the malaria peak and the period of food availability. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 159 pregnant women attending for initial antenatal care between October and January 2022. Sociodemographic, obstetrical, nutritional and biological data were collected. Anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin concentration of less than 11 g/dl. The Chi-square test and bivariate analysis were used to identify factors associated with anaemia during pregnancy. The study revealed a prevalence of anaemia of around 60%. The majority of pregnant women suffered from moderate anaemia (51.06%) and mild anaemia (47.88%). The prevalence of malaria was 8.8%, with 71.43% of women being anaemic. With regard to nutritional status, 11.88% of women had a brachial circumference less than 230 mm and 52.2% had an acceptable dietary diversity score. The majority of women (91.67%) with inadequate nutritional status were anaemic. Anaemia was significantly associated with young age (OR = 3.337, 95% CI: 1.190 - 9.353, p = 0.017), low educational level (OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.512 - 8.025, p = 0.003). It was also associated with low consumption of vegetables/fruit rich in Vit A (OR = 2.433, 95% IC = 1.13 - 5.21, p = 0.02) and other fruits (OR = 2.362, 95% IC = 1.17 - 4.76, p = 0.015). The prevalence of anaemia during pregnancy was high in this study. It is timely to focus on effective antenatal care and to improve nutritional counselling. Better maternal education about anaemia during antenatal consultations could reduce the prevalence of anaemia and mitigate the harmful consequences for the mother and new born.