Browsing by Author "Tumbo, Amon Peter"

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    Maternal anaemia and associated factors in Mpwapwa district, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1994) Tumbo, Amon Peter
    To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of maternal anaemia, we conducted a community based cross-sectional survey in Mpwapwa district. A total of 724 pregnant women were studied. Data were collected from the beginning of November to mid December, 1992. Anaemia, as defined by WHO cut-off point of haemoglobin less than 11 g dl, was recorded in 61 % (441/724) of the study population. Both the prevalence of anaemia and the mean haemoglobin levels decreased gradually as age increased except for age group 20-24 years. however, the mean haemoglobin level was significantly higher among women who reported that they were using iron supplements (1l.lg/dl than among those who didn't (10.3g/d1) (Student t-statistic = 8.9; p-value < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean haemoglobin levels of subjects who reported that they were using chloroquine chemoprophylaxis (10.4g/dl) and those who didn't (10.5g/dl). Subjects who had booked for antenatal clinic had lower prevalence of anaemia 57.2 % (299/523) compared with those who had not 70. 6 % (142/201). The difference 13.4 % was statistically significant (95 % CI = 5.8 % , 21%; Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) Chi-square test = 11.1; p-value = 0.001; df = 1}. About 6% (46/724) of the study subjects had multiple parasitic infections, those with malaria parasites or hookworm alone were 9.5 % (69/724) and 13.4 % (97/724) respectively. Analysis using logistic regression model showed that the significant risk factors associated with maternal anaemia were age below 20 years (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.0; 95 % Colfidence Interval (Cl) = 1.35 % , 3.0 % ), malaria (OR = 2 .7, 95 % CI = 1.7 % , 5.1 % ), hookworm (OR = 2.3; 95 % CI = 1.3 % , 3.8 %), other intestinal helminths (OR = 2.6 95 % CI = 1.1 % , 6.2 %). The risk of anaemia was higher among women who reported that they were using chloroquine chemoprophylaxis than in those who did not (OR = 2.2; 95 % CI = 1.3 % , 3.9 %). Antenatal clinic attendance and iron supplementation were associated with a reduction of risk of anaemia by 30 % and 57 % respectively. In conclusion, maternal anaemia is a major public health problem in Mpwapwa district. Measures to its control should concentrate on pre-pregnancy deworming, increasing use of antenatal clinic and iron supplementation during pregnancy.