NUTRITIONAL IRON DEFICIENCY IN WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE—WHAT TO DO?

Authors

  • Tahir Ansari
  • Liaquat Ali
  • Tariq Aziz
  • Jamal Ara
  • Nagina Liaquat
  • Humera Tahir

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency is the most common aetiology of anaemia worldwide and has several riskfactors. Although iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) can occur at any age, women from reproductive agegroup are particularly vulnerable to develop IDA due to increased nutritional demand duringpregnancy. Objective was to determine the frequency and nutritional risk factor of iron deficiencyanaemia in women of child bearing age. This descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted fromOctober 2005 to March 2006 at the Department of Medicine, Ward-5, and out-patients department ofJinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Method: Two hundred non-pregnant females of childbearing age were included in the study; 100 with no previous pregnancy and remaining 100 with atleast one prior history of pregnancy. All the relevant information, i.e., demographic and socioeconomicwas collected through a questionnaire. Results: Two hundred patients with signs and symptoms ofanaemia were recruited. Out of them 89 patients were found to be having iron deficiency anaemia invarious age groups. Results also showed that dietary habit of patients was one of the causative factorsleading to iron deficiency anaemia. Conclusion: To overcome iron deficiency anaemia a thorough andcomprehensive strategy is required, i.e., educating the subjects to consume food rich in iron,community based program, monitoring severely anaemic cases and their treatment.Keywords: Nutrition, Iron deficiency anaemia, Child bearing age

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Published

2009-09-01

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 3 (2009): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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