Prevalence and factors associated with anaemia in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Lambaréné, Gabon – a cross-sectional study

Background Anaemia affects one-third of women of reproductive age worldwide and is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. The aetiologies are multiple and sometimes intertwined in the same woman. Anaemia is the expression of an iron deficiency in the majority of cases, but there are manyother causes, such as malaria and other parasitic infections, infection with HIV, nutritional deficiencies and haemoglobinopathies. This study aimed to provide knowledge on the prevalence and determinants of anaemia in a population of pregnant women from Lambaréné in Gabon. Methods In a cross-sectional study, pregnant women attending antenatal clinics were invited to participate by providing sociodemographic data as well as blood, urine and stool samples for the diagnosis of anaemia, malaria, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. Data were analysed through univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 371 women were enrolled, with a median age of 24 years (min–max: 14–45 years). The prevalence of anaemia was 74.4% (276/371), with higher proportions among adolescent girls (81.3%), those from rural settings(78%), primigravida (80.2%), nulliparous (79%), and HIV-infected (89.7%), and women positive for malaria (93%), schistosomiasis (82.4%), and soil-transmitted helminths (85.7%). Multivariate analysis revealed strong evidence that malaria was associated with anaemia in the study population, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 7.36 (95% confidence interval: 1.51--35.85), p=0.01, and weak evidence that soil-transmitted helminths could also be associated with anaemia, with an OR of 3.95 (95% CI: 0.95--16.46, p=0.05). Interpretation Anaemia in pregnant women is very common in the study area and is a severe public health problem in this region of Gabon. Malaria and other prevalent infections are important risk factors associated with anaemia in pregnant women. National public health policies should be implemented or strengthened to address the issue of anaemia in pregnant women.