Nutritional and sociodemographic determinants related to anemia in indigenous-rural Mexican pregnant women

Abstract

Objective
To identify nutritional indicators related to anemia considering the sociodemographic context
of indigenous-rural Mexican pregnant women.
Methods
Information was collected from 156 indigenous-rural pregnant women. A sociodemographic questionnaire was administered and nutritional indicators were obtained: Women’s Dietary Diversity Score, pregestational body mass index, weight gain for gestational age, hemoglobin concentrations, and serum levels of ferritin, iron, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and erythrocyte folate. Statistical analysis was conducted to identify variables related to the presence of anemia, creating a binary logistic regression model with significant correlations.
Results
24% of the participants had anemia and low iron reserves, 32.1% had low vitamin C concentrations. Furthermore, 37.8% experienced insufficient weight gain or weight loss. Adolescent women had lower pregestational body mass index (22.2±2.8 vs. 24.9±4.4; p=0.000) and lower Women’s Dietary Diversity Score compared to adult women (35.8 vs. 21.8; p=0.020). Women living farther away from the municipal center also had lower Women’s Dietary Diversity Score (r=-0.213; p=0.028). In adult women, being a homemaker (OR=6.06 [95% CI=1.35-27.28]; p=0.019), experiencing gestational weight loss or insufficient weight gain (OR=5.34 [95% CI=1.56-18.26]; p=0.008), having low ferritin concentrations (OR=13.12 [95% CI=3.48-48.34]; p=0.000) and low vitamin C levels (OR=6.01 [95% CI=1.36-16.00]; p=0.014), were contributors (Nagelkerke r2=0.470) to the presence of anemia.
Conclusion
When developing strategies for anemia prevention in pregnant women, it is necessary to consider their social, economic, and geographic contexts. Furthermore, public policies should be established to ensure proper implementation of multivitamin supplementation and, in this kind of marginal population starting it from the onset of menstruation.