ANEMIA'S STRANGLEHOLD ON EXPECTING MOTHERS IN INDIA – EVIDENCE FROM THE FIFTH INDIAN DEMOGRAPHIC HEALTH SURVEY

Gurdeep Singh*, Manjot Kaur1, Dr. Raj Narayan Dr. Dharmendra Kumar Yadav and Dr. Praveen K. Chokhandre

ABSTRACT

Background: Anemia is a serious public health issue that affects both developed and developing nations. Anemia is linked to low socioeconomic status, high parity, poor diet, lack of health awareness, and high incidence of infections and parasites. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women in India, as well as identify contributing factors. Method: The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2019–21 data provided the basis for the investigation. The NFHS-5 included 27,318 pregnant women aged 15 to 49. Analytical and descriptive analyses were employed. To determine the relationship between background characteristics and anemia prevalence, bivariate logistic regression model was utilised. Results: The prevalence of anemia was found to be 51.91% in pregnant women. Among the population of pregnant women, moderate anemia was found to be the most prevalent condition, with a prevalence rate of 26.11%. Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia has increased, with age, educational level, children ever born, BMI, religion, caste, residence and tobacco consumption being its significant determinants.

Keywords: Anemia, Pregnant women, NFHS-5, Prevalence, NACP.