2025, Vol. 7, Issue 4, Part A

Author(s): Enas Ibrahim Khalaf

Abstract: Background: Pregnancy-related anemia is a major public health issue that poses a serious risk to the health of both the mother and the child. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that anemia with a rate of ? 40% has serious public health implications. Our study objectives the estimated rate of anemia in pregnant women attending AL-Taakhi PHCC in Kirkuk governorate. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at AL-Taakhi PHCC, Kirkuk, Iraq, from May 1st to August 1st, 2025. Pregnant women who have had Antenatal care (ANC), were directly interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Anemia was defined by Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration less than 11.0 g/dL and classified as mild (10.0-10.9 g/dL), moderate (7.0-9.9 g/dL), and severe (<7.0 g/dL). Official approval was obtained. Categorical data was analyzed using Fisher-Exact tests. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 200 pregnant women who have had Antenatal care, 108 (54.0%) of them had mild to moderate anemia, while 10 (5.0%) of them had severe anemia. 137 (68.5%) women were within 20-29 years of age. Anemia causes included primiparous status 38 (19.0%), Lower educational attainment 50 (25.0%) and previous history of anemia 109 (54.5%). Anemia in pregnancy were significantly higher in young maternal age (less than 20 years), with short interpregnancy interval (less than 12 months) and those who rare/never consumed iron-rich food or irregularly taking supplements (P=0.0001, P=0.0002) respectively. Conclusions: The high prevalence of 59.0% confirms that maternal anemia is a severe public health problem in Kirkuk. The most significant and controllable determinants were previous history of anemia, young maternal age, and short interpregnancy interval.

DOI: 10.22271/27069567.2025.v7.i4a.678

Pages: 26-31 | Views: 30 | Downloads: 10

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