Association between Iron Supplementation and Anemia among Pregnant and Postpartum Women in Pakistan: A Secondary Analysis of PDHS 2017–18

Iron Supplementation and Anemia among Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Abstract

IDA and VAD during pregnancy and postpartum are important public health problems contributing to maternal and neonatal morbidity in LMICs. Coverage of supplementation is not consistent, and monitoring of uptake remains limited in developing countries despite WHO recommendations. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anemia and its association with iron supplementation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 pregnant and postpartum women using PDHS 2017–18 data. Anemia was considered hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL. Iron supplementation uptake, postpartum Vitamin A supplementation, and 24-hour dietary recall data were obtained. Chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, and multivariate logistic regression were performed, with reporting of risk ratios (RR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The prevalence of anemia was 46%. Iron supplementation was received by 53% of women, and anemia was considerably higher among non-users (88.9%) compared with users (7.8%), with a significant association observed (p<0.001). Dietary diversity was also low, with only 31% consuming dark leafy green vegetables and 33% consuming Vitamin A-rich foods within the previous 24 hours. Iron supplementation remained significantly associated with lower odds of anemia in multivariate regression (OR = 0.03 p=0.015). Conclusions: Maternal anemia remains common despite the observed association between iron supplementation and lower anemia frequency. Strengthening supplementation delivery monitoring systems and community nutrition education may help address micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant and postpartum women.