A cross-sectional study on prevalence and determinants of anemia among women of reproductive age in a rural community of West Bengal

CONTEXT: Anemia is a serious public health concern especially in women of reproductive age (WRA) as it causes a high burden of morbidity and mortality and persists through intergenerational cycle. As most of the risk factors are preventable, a thorough understanding of its risk factors is necessary to design better interventions. AIMS: Current study aimed to estimate the burden of anemia as well as explore determinants of various grades of anemia among WRA in a rural area. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age in rural field practice area of All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health. METHODS AND MATERIALS: House to house visit was conducted for interviewing with pre-designed pre-tested questionnaire along with blood hemoglobin and anthropometric measurement. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistics and test of significance like multinomial logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis test (with post-hoc) were used. RESULTS: Majority (70.8%) of participants were anemic. Proportion of mild, moderate, and severe anemia were 24.16%, 37.5%, and 9.16%, respectively. Different levels of anemia were significantly associated with higher age, lower education, poor iron-rich food intake, lack of dietary diversity, and adiposity. Significantly low hemoglobin level in both underweight and obesity was noticed suggesting U shaped relationship between BMI and anemia. CONCLUSION: Periodic screening for anemia among WRA especially in both extremes of malnutrition, i.e., undernutrition and obesity should be considered at the policy level. Year-round behaviour change communication campaigns must be carried out for the promotion of necessary food groups in diet.