Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among Pregnant Women at Al-Jomhori Teaching Hospital in Sana’a City -Yemen
Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is widely recognized as a common type of nutritional disorder among pregnant women and poses substantial risk to both maternal and fetal health worldwide, especially in developing countries such as Yemen. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of IDA among pregnant women attending obstetric clinics at Al-Jomhori Teaching Hospital in Sana’a City, Yemen.
Materials and methods: Between August 2024 and August 2025, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 397 pregnant women. Venous blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters and iron profile tests to determine IDA using automated methods. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 24.
Results: Among 397 pregnant women, the prevalence of IDA among study subjects was 49.4%, and it was also 87.5% out of the total 224 anemic pregnant women. Statistical analysis showed a highly statistically significant (P = 0.001) role in the development of IDA in pregnant women who were illiterate, had a shorter interpregnancy period of < 1 year, had 4–7 children, and had a low monthly family income.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of IDA among pregnant women in the study area may be attributed to factors such as socioeconomic status, maternal education levels, and reproductive-related factors. This necessitates strengthening health awareness programs that emphasize the importance of birth spacing, improving nutritional care, and providing preventive nutritional supplements to the most vulnerable social groups to reduce health risks.
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