The magnitude of anemia and its associated factors among pregnant women in Hawela Tula Sub-city of Hawassa, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Anemia is one of the most serious health problems impacting people worldwide. The disease is quiet, moving slowly and producing only a few physical symptoms. Anemia during pregnancy raises the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and fetal anomalies, and it can have a substantial financial impact on society and families. However, there was a paucity of studies on the magnitude and associated factors of anemia among pregnant women in southern Ethiopia.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care in the Hawella Tula Sub-city of Hawassa City in 2021.

Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study was done on 341 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics. Data were obtained using a standardized semi-structured questionnaire. To identify the associated factors for the magnitude of anemia logistic regression model was used with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated.

Results: The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care in health facilities of Hawella Tula Sub-city was 113 (33.7%) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) (28.8, 38.9). Male-headed household (AOR = 2.217, 95% CI: 1.146, 4.286), rural resident (AOR = 3.805, 95% CI: 2.118, 6.838), early marriage below 18 years (AOR = 2.137, 95% CI: 1.193, 3.830), and recurrent of illness during pregnancy (AOR = 3.189, 95% CI: 1.405, 7.241) were associated factors for anemia.

Conclusion: Anemia prevalence among pregnant women was 113 (33.7%). Anemia among pregnant women was associated with rural residents, early marriage age below 18 years, and repeated illnesses during pregnancy.