Residential Disparities in Iron Utilization during Pregnancy in Ethiopia
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Date
2024-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Low levels of hemoglobin are the major cause of symptoms related to low
circulation of oxygen throughout the body. Taking iron supplements during the time of
pregnancy helps pregnant women accumulate the additional blood they need. In Ethiopia very
few pregnant women take iron supplement for more than 90 days. Therefore, this research aims
to identify factors that affect iron utilization during pregnancy and explains between rural-urban
differences in Iron Utilization during pregnancy
Method: The 2022 Ethiopian National Health Equity Survey (ENHES) dataset was used and
secondary analysis was performed. A sample of 5,316 of mothers who gave birth five years prior
to the study were those that were included in the analysis process. Multi-level logistic regression
analysis was done by STATA version 16.0 and blinder Oaxaca decomposition were applied.
Results: This study revealed that 37.2% of the women took IFA below the recommended period
during pregnancy. Rural – urban differences in the utilization of IFAS women was showed as
9%. In addition, women in the Afar region had the lowest usage of iron. Married women [AOR
= 1.40, 95% CI: (1.04, 1.88)], women with higher wealth status [AOR= 1.95, 95% CI:(1.45,
2.62)], women enrolled in community-based health insurance [AOR = 1.50, 95% CI:(1.30,
1.74)], and women who had more than four antenatal (ANC) visits [AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: (1.42,
1.83)] showed a higher odd to use iron supplementation. Conversely, women with larger family
sizes (more than 6 members) [AOR = 0.65, 95% CI (0.54, 0.80)] and women who reside more
than 5 kilometers away from a healthcare facility [AOR = 0.87, 95% CI:(0.05, 0.15)] were less
inclined to take iron supplements during pregnancy.
Conclusion: The findings show that some of the factors that increase iron utilization are high
wealth, using community-based health insurance program, being married and attending antenatal
care. On the other hand, mothers who have large family sizes and live more than 5km far from
health centers are less probable to take iron supplements. Promoting women’s education and
maternal health services like ANC visits and participating in community-based health insurance
(CBHI); specifically in growing regions and rural parts.
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Keywords
Inequality, Iron utilization, Multilevel, Decomposition, Ethiopia