Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors in Child Bearing Age Women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objective. To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anemia in child bearing age women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Design. Cross-sectional survey was conducted using two-stage cluster sampling. 25 clusters (primary health care centers (PHCC)) were identified from all over Riyadh, and 45-50 households were randomly selected from each cluster. Eligible women were invited to PHCC for questionnaire filling, anthropometric measurements, and complete blood count. Blood hemoglobin was measured with Coulter Cellular Analysis System using light scatter method. Setting. PHCC. Subjects. 969 (68%) women out of 1429 women were included in the analysis. Results. Mean hemoglobin was 12.35 (+/- 1.80) g/dL, 95% CI 12.24-12.46 with interquartile range of 1.9. Anemia (Hb <12 g/dL) was present in 40% (390) women. Mean (+/- SD) for MCH, MCV, MCHC, and RDW was 79.21 (+/- 12.17) fL, 26.37 (+/- 6.21) pg, 32.36 (+/- 4.91) g/dL, and 14.84 (+/- 4.65)%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that having family history of iron deficiency anemia (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.78-4.76) and infrequent intake of meat (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.15-2.05) were associated with increased risk of anemia, whereas increasing body mass index (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.97) was associated with reduced risk of anemia. Conclusion. Women should be educated about proper diet and reproductive issues in order to reduce the prevalence of anemia in Saudi Arabia.