Assessment of Nutritional Anaemia and its Predisposing Factors among Women of Reproductive Age Group in a Slum of Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Introduction: Anaemia is a major public health problem affecting women of reproductive age groups all over the world. As per NFHS-IV data, prevalence of anaemia in India is 53% and in urban areas of West Bengal is 58.2%. Studies conducted among women of reproductive age in slums of Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, the prevalence of anaemia was 49.5% and 60.8% respectively. Aim: To assess the nutritional anaemia and its predisposing factors among women of reproductive age group in a slum of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Materials and Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was carried out in a slum of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Total study participants enrolled were 122 women of the reproductive age group (15-49 years). The surveyed women were gathered in three days through three different camps organised in the field service area of Urban Health Unit and Training Center, Chetla. All the respondents were interviewed and anthropometric measurement and blood examination were carried out. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16 and chisquare test was used to find out the association between variables. Results: Among all women, 112 (91.8%) had anaemia with proportion of mild and moderate anaemia being 67.2% and 24.6%, respectively. No woman was suffering from severe anaemia. The factors associated with anaemia were age, education, socio-economic status, parity, abortion, interval between two successive pregnancies less than three years, menorrhagia, BMI and dietary habits. Conclusion: The current study noted that education level, socio-economic status, consumption of iron rich food, increased order of pregnancies and abortion, interval between successive pregnancies affect the blood haemoglobin level successively. To increase the health awareness and decrease the prevalence of anaemia, community awareness about iron folic acid supplementation and schooling of girls, decreasing school dropout are to be addressed.

Keywords

• community awareness
• ever married
• poverty area