# Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Predictors of Anaemia Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at a District Hospital in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study examines the high rate of anemia among pregnant women in Ghana and finds significant differences based on pregnancy stage and occupation.

## Contribution

The study identifies novel associations between occupation (e.g., hairdressers) and anemia risk, and highlights socio-cultural factors influencing maternal health.

## Key findings

- 73.8% of pregnant women attending antenatal care had anemia.
- Severe anemia was highest in the second trimester (60.0%).
- Hairdressers had 69% lower odds of anemia compared to other occupations.

## Abstract

Background: Anaemia during pregnancy is a major public health concern in both advanced and less-developed countries, including Ghana. The prevalence of anaemia in Ghana seriously affects the country's social and economic development.

Aim: This study, therefore, assessed anaemia in pregnant women attending the Catholic Hospital in the Battor District, Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling method was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 among four hundred (400) pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the Catholic Hospital, Battor, in the Volta Region. Sociodemographic (age, marital status, level of education, occupation and religion), knowledge, attitudes, and practices were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire, and the gestation periods and the number of antenatal (ANC) visits were obtained from the antenatal booklets. Blood samples (3 mL) were collected to determine their anaemia status. SPSS software version 26 and GraphPad Prism 6 were used for the statistical analysis. A p value less than 0.050 was considered statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval.

Results: Our study found that the prevalence of anaemia among the antenatal attendants was 295 (73.8%). Severe anaemia was highest in the second trimester (60.0%). Pregnant women in their third trimester recorded the highest prevalence of both macrocytic hyperchromic and microcytic hypochromic anaemia (66.7%, 50.0%). The study found that the majority of the pregnant women had satisfactory knowledge of anaemia (38.3%), with only 5.3% having excellent knowledge. Hairdressers had 69% lower odds for anaemia as compared to participants with other occupations (aOR; 0.31, 95% CI; 0.12–0.82, p = 0.018) whiles 196 (66.4%) of married women were anaemic.

Conclusion: Anaemia remains highly prevalent among pregnant women, with notable variations across trimesters and occupations. Unexpected trends, such as lower odds of anaemia among hairdressers and higher prevalence among married women, highlight the need for further studies into occupational and socio-cultural influences on maternal health.