Inequality, Chronic Undernutrition, Maternity, and Diabetes Mellitus as the determinant of anemia among ever-married women in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: Anemia is a public health concern at a global level. This study aims to delineate the association between household economic inequalities, along with other confounders, and anemia among reproductive age group women in Bangladesh.

Methods: A cross-sectional population sample comprising of 5920 reproductive age group women aged between 15–49 years was selected, and the analyses were performed through the application of proportional odds models.

Results: The respondents from low and medium socioeconomic status (SES) households vs. richest households were 1.90 (95% CI, 1.65–2.17; p<.01) and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.12–1.78; p<.01) times more likely to suffer from anemia. The likelihood of being anemic reduces for the low and medium SES groups vs. high SES group when sociodemographic variables are added (OR, 1.69, 95% CI, 1.43–1.99 and OR, 1.35, 95% CI, .07–1.70; p<0.01, respectively). After adding the variables of diabetes and maternity status, the association between having anemia belonging to low and medium SES vs. high SES becomes weaker (OR,1.36, 95% CI,0.85–2.15 and OR, 1.15, 95% CI, 0.6–2.19; p>.05, respectively). Moreover, the strength of the association between anemia and the subjects with pregnant and lactating vs. the subjects without these conditions was reduced after factoring body mass index (BMI).

Conclusions: BMI, pregnancy, and diabetes mellitus were observed to be significantly associated with anemia, and the strength of the association was low with anemia and socioeconomic inequality.