Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study

Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).Design Comparative cross-sectional study.Setting LMICs.Participants Reproductive-age women.Primary outcome Anaemia.Methods Data fo...

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Main Authors: Adugnaw Zeleke Alem, Fantu Mamo Aragaw, Daniel Gashaneh Belay, Dagmawi Chilot, Melaku Hunie Asratie, Mequanint Melesse Bicha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-05-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e069851.full
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author Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
Fantu Mamo Aragaw
Daniel Gashaneh Belay
Dagmawi Chilot
Melaku Hunie Asratie
Mequanint Melesse Bicha
author_facet Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
Fantu Mamo Aragaw
Daniel Gashaneh Belay
Dagmawi Chilot
Melaku Hunie Asratie
Mequanint Melesse Bicha
author_sort Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
collection DOAJ
description Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).Design Comparative cross-sectional study.Setting LMICs.Participants Reproductive-age women.Primary outcome Anaemia.Methods Data for the study were drawn from the recent 46 LMICs Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). A total of 185 330 lactating and 827 501 non-lactating women (both are non-pregnant) who gave birth in the last 5 years preceding the survey were included. STATA V.16 was used to clean, code and analyse the data. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with anaemia. In the adjusted model, the adjusted OR with 95% CI and a p value <0.05 was reported to indicate statistical association.Result The prevalence of anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women was found at 50.95% (95% CI 50.72, 51.17) and 49.33% (95% CI 49.23%, 49.44%), respectively. Maternal age, mother’s educational status, wealth index, family size, media exposure, residence, pregnancy termination, source of drinking water and contraceptive usage were significantly associated determinants of anaemia in both lactating and non-lactating women. Additionally, the type of toilet facility, antenatal care visit, postnatal care visit, iron supplementation and place of delivery were factors significantly associated with anaemia in lactating women. Besides, smoking was significantly associated with anaemia in non-lactating women.Conclusions and recommendations The prevalence of anaemia was higher in lactating women compared with non-lactating. Almost half of the lactating and non-lactating women were anaemic. Both individual-level and community-level factors were significantly associated with anaemia. Governments, non-governmental organisations, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders are recommended to primarily focus on disadvantageous communities where their knowledge, purchasing power, access to healthcare facilities, access to clean drinking water and clean toilet facilities are minimal.
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spelling doaj.art-8462a41f76bc4f3cbce07310e7ea81b22023-05-18T20:30:06ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-05-0113510.1136/bmjopen-2022-069851Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional studyAdugnaw Zeleke Alem0Fantu Mamo Aragaw1Daniel Gashaneh Belay2Dagmawi Chilot3Melaku Hunie Asratie4Mequanint Melesse Bicha5Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Human Anatomy, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, EthiopiaPhysiology, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Amara, EthiopiaDepartment of women and family health, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, EthiopiaDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, EthiopiaObjective This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).Design Comparative cross-sectional study.Setting LMICs.Participants Reproductive-age women.Primary outcome Anaemia.Methods Data for the study were drawn from the recent 46 LMICs Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). A total of 185 330 lactating and 827 501 non-lactating women (both are non-pregnant) who gave birth in the last 5 years preceding the survey were included. STATA V.16 was used to clean, code and analyse the data. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with anaemia. In the adjusted model, the adjusted OR with 95% CI and a p value <0.05 was reported to indicate statistical association.Result The prevalence of anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women was found at 50.95% (95% CI 50.72, 51.17) and 49.33% (95% CI 49.23%, 49.44%), respectively. Maternal age, mother’s educational status, wealth index, family size, media exposure, residence, pregnancy termination, source of drinking water and contraceptive usage were significantly associated determinants of anaemia in both lactating and non-lactating women. Additionally, the type of toilet facility, antenatal care visit, postnatal care visit, iron supplementation and place of delivery were factors significantly associated with anaemia in lactating women. Besides, smoking was significantly associated with anaemia in non-lactating women.Conclusions and recommendations The prevalence of anaemia was higher in lactating women compared with non-lactating. Almost half of the lactating and non-lactating women were anaemic. Both individual-level and community-level factors were significantly associated with anaemia. Governments, non-governmental organisations, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders are recommended to primarily focus on disadvantageous communities where their knowledge, purchasing power, access to healthcare facilities, access to clean drinking water and clean toilet facilities are minimal.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e069851.full
spellingShingle Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
Fantu Mamo Aragaw
Daniel Gashaneh Belay
Dagmawi Chilot
Melaku Hunie Asratie
Mequanint Melesse Bicha
Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
BMJ Open
title Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
title_full Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
title_short Anaemia among lactating and non-lactating women in low-income and middle-income countries: a comparative cross-sectional study
title_sort anaemia among lactating and non lactating women in low income and middle income countries a comparative cross sectional study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e069851.full
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