Does body mass index early in pregnancy influence the risk of maternal anaemia? An observational study in Indonesian and Ghanaian women

Abstract

[...]risk for anaemia decreased with higher early pregnancy BMI for Indonesians (adjusted OR 0.88, 0.81 to 0.97, p = 0.01) and Ghanaians (adjusted OR 0.95, 0.92 to 0.98, p < 0.001). Due to major dissimilarities between Ghanaian and Indonesian BMI distribution, we used tertiles instead of World Health Organisation (WHO) BMI categories. [...]controversy exists on applying the existing WHO BMI categories for Asian populations, in which previous studies suggested lower cut-offs [33, 34]. [...]differences between Ghanaian and Indonesian women might exist regarding (gestational) age during enrolment and reported pre-existing hypertension. Conclusions In summary, in pregnant women from urban settings in Indonesia and Ghana, low early pregnancy BMI relates to an increased risk for anaemia at first antenatal care visit. [...]health providers should consider initiating early anaemia screening or treatment.