PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN THREE CITIES OF PAKISTAN

Anemia during pregnancy is a global health issue that affects both developed and developing nations. The primary objective of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women and associated risk factors. To identify the causes of anemia in patients, across-sectional survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews in hospitals and clinics. Data was collected using a modified questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 2021. This study found that18.7%were mildly anemic, 74.9% were moderately and 6.44% were severely anemic. The mean age of the participants ranged from 14 to 42 years, with a maximum age of 42 and a minimum age of 14. A chi-square test examines the relationship between Hb levels and various factors. Some factors showed a significant relationship with Hb levels, including the age of the respondent (p=0.000), type of pregnancy (p=0.018), no consumption of fresh fruits (p=0.003), no use of iron supplements (p=0.012), not taking healthy diet (p=0.009), no nutritional guidance (p=0.048) and menstrual flow (p=0.016) as all p-values were