prevalence and risk factors associated withanaemia among lactating mothers attending post- natal services at mukono general hospital

Description

Anaemia is a condition in which blood hemoglobin concentration is below normal for age and sex with oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells not enough for normal physiological processes (Alemayehu, 2017)Globally, anaemia affects about 1.74 billion people which is 27 percent of the world population as of 2013(Gardner & Kassebaum, 2020) A study done in China reported prevalence of anemia among lactating mothers as 32.7% (Zhao et al., 2019).A similar study donein Myanmar showed a73.8% prevalence(Zhang, 2016), while another done in India reported a prevalence of 62.9%(Siddiqui et al., 2017) In Africa, a study done in Ethiopia reported the prevalence of anemia to be 28.3%(Liyew & Teshale, 2020). In East Africa, a study reported a 22% prevalence of anemia among post-natal women in Tanzania and a 25% prevalence in Kenya(Fujita & Wander, 2017) 2 Iron depletion duringlactation is a main predisposing factor for anaemia in breastfeeding mothers (Zhang, 2016). Other factors include; blood loss during delivery (Lakew et al., 2015)vitamin A, C, B12 and folate deficiency, parasitic infection,multi-gravidity, low income level, and infectious disorders(Zhao et al., 2019)In Uganda the prevalence of anemia among breastfeeding mothers is 34% (UDHS, 2016a, UDHS, 2016b), cited in (Clinton et al., 2022) 1.2 Problem statement In Uganda the overall prevalence of anaemia in lactating mothers is 34%(UDHS, 2016a).A study done at Mbarara City Health Centre 4 showed the prevalence of anemia among lactating mothers to be 24.6%, with mean hemoglobin (Hb) concentration of 12.5g/dl (Clinton et al., 2022)Anaemia usually results in an impaired quality of life, reduced cognitive abilities, emotional instability and depression (Milman, 2011) However, little information is known about prevalence of anaemia in lactating mothers in Central Uganda, Kampala district in particular. At Kampala Independent Hospital, the burden of anaemia among lactating mothers is not known, despite its negative impact on the livelihoods of such mothers. The aim of this study therefore, is to determine the prevalence of anemia and its associated risk factors amon