Prevalence of Anaemia among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Services in Selected Health Facilities in the West B Region, Zanzibar

Abstract

Anaemia during pregnancy remains a major global public health challenge, with high prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding its magnitude among pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) is essential for targeted interventions. This study determined the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women attending ANC services in selected health facilities in the West B Region, Zanzibar. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 352 pregnant women attending ANC clinics in selected public and private facilities from March to October 2025. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling of facilities and systematic random sampling of eligible women. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, and haemoglobin levels were obtained from ANC records. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <11.0 g/dL based on WHO criteria. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27 with descriptive and bivariate statistics (Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests), with significance at p<0.05. The prevalence of anaemia was 62.2% (n=219). Anaemia increased with gestational age (p<0.001), from 32.1% in the first trimester to 77.3% in the third. Higher prevalence occurred among women practicing pica (76.2%), multiparous women (73.3%), those with birth intervals <2 years (68.3%), and those with previous anaemia (72.6%). Anaemia remains a severe public health problem, necessitating early screening, nutritional counselling, improved birth spacing, and strengthened iron supplementation programs.