Awareness of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care, South Ethiopia

Background: Anemia affects around half a billion women of reproductive age worldwide, women; especially pregnant women are at high risk of contracting anemia. The aim of this study was to asses’ awareness of anemia among pregnant women and identifies associated factors with the level of awareness. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2016 at Yrga Cheffe health center, South Ethiopia. Data were gathered using structured questionnaire. Simple random sampling technique was used to select participants. Sample frame was prepared from secondary data at antenatal care service unit. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data. Results: Among 244 study participants about 94.3% (230) pregnant women were responsive and only 44.3% (102) of the women have comprehensive awareness of anemia. Awareness of anemia was significantly associated with number of ANC visit {AOR=7.407, CI=95% [3.247-16.895]}, occupational status {AOR=1.970, CI=95% [1.092-3.555]} and educational status {AOR=6.141, CI=95% [2.781-13.562]} of respondents. Conclusion: Promoting the benefits of early and frequent ANC, enhancing the quality of ANC and counseling on the ad knowledge of women on anemia are essential elements for improving the awareness of anemia.