Prevalence of Anemia, Iron Deficiency during the Second Trimester of Gestation in Pregnant Women: A Comparative Study of Walled and New Lahore City Population
Shafia Arshad
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Avenue 1, Khyaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan and University College of Conventional Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Amina Arif *
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Avenue 1, Khyaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan.
Nessar Ahmed
Center for Biosciences, Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Road, Manchester M1 5GD, United Kingdom.
Javed Iqbal Wattoo
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Avenue 1, Khyaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Anemia during pregnancy is common worldwide, and it is also reported in Lahore, Pakistan, but it is not well documented in women residing in the Walled City of Lahore (WC). The study was designed to compare the pregnant female population of walled and new Lahore (NC) city for the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency.
Methods: All the females were within the second trimester of pregnancy with World Health Organization (WHO) criteria of age between 18-45 years. 446 venous blood samples were drawn, out of which 180 belong to WC and 266 to NC. After informed consent, demographic information, including age, gravidity, education, and socioeconomic status, was collected. A complete blood count test was performed to get results for hemoglobin, MCV, and MCH. Total iron-binding capacity, ferritin, and hepcidin levels were checked on ELISA 96-wells plates.
Results: The prevalence of anemia in WC samples is 58.3%, and in NC samples, it is 42.4%. A decrease in hepcidin is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with age and gravidity in both populations.
Conclusion: It is concluded that anemia control programs should focus on WC women with extra efforts as anemia and iron deficiency are more prevalent. Making intelligent and focused efforts about this public health worry, Pakistan may succeed in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2025 about eradicating anemia.
Keywords: Anemia, iron deficiency, pregnancy, prevalence, Walled city of Lahore