Abstract:
Background: Anemia during pregnancy is a major public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, affecting the well-being of mothers and their fetuses. Food aversion during pregnancy is a common phenomenon characterized by a dislike for certain foods or odors.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between food aversion and anemia among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health centers in Shegar City, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2024.
Methods: An institution-based comparative cross-sectional study using systematic random sampling technique was done at public health centers in Shegar city, from February 15 to March 25, 2024. The study was conducted on randomly selected 854 pregnant women (427 pregnant women with food aversion and 427 pregnant women without food aversion) through face-to-face interview using pre-tested structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were performed for continuous variables, while frequency and percentages were done for categorical variables. AOR with its 95% confidence intervals and p-value <0.05 was estimated to measure the association between independent variables (including food aversion) and anemia. Variables with p-value <0.05 was declared as factors significantly associated with anemia.
Results: The overall magnitude of anemia was 24.5% (95 % CI: 22%–27%). The magnitude of anemia was significantly higher among pregnant women with food aversion 28.3 %,( 95% CI: 24%–33%) than pregnant women without food aversion (12.2%, 95% CI: 9 %–15%), (p<0.001). Factors such as having a history of excess menstrual bleeding (AOR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.33), low dietary diversity score (AOR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.70) and food aversion (AOR=4.13, 95% CI: 2.89, 5.90) were significantly associated with anemia.
Conclusion: The magnitude of anemia among pregnant women with food aversion was significantly higher compared to pregnant women without food aversion. Factors such as history of excess menstrual bleeding, hand washing practices, under nutrition, low dietary diversity and food aversion were significantly associated with anemia among pregnant women. Thus, interventions aimed at addressing these factors through comprehensive antenatal care programs could help reduce the burden of anemia among pregnant women in public health centers.
