Dietary habits linked to anemia in pregnant women receiving antenatal care in Kuala Selangor

Anemia during pregnancy is common with prevalence is 19.3 to 57.4%, in Malaysia. Inappropriate dietary habits could lead to iron deficiencies including the frequency of meals, the intake of fruits and vegetables, the consumption of tea or coffee during mealtimes, dietary variety, pica, and food aversion. Therefore, this cross-sectional study will be focusing on exploring the connection between dietary habits and anemia and further, to identify the determinants of anemia in relation to dietary habits in pregnant women receiving antenatal care services in Kuala Selangor. About 145 pregnant women aged between 18-45 years old attending antenatal care services were recruited. Hemoglobin level was obtained from the health record book. Sociodemographic data and dietary habits were collected using a structured questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the predictors of anemia in pregnant women. The overall prevalence of anemia is 27.1%. Of these 4.0% had mild anemia and 23.3% had moderate anemia. Based on this study, anemia was not significantly associated with dietary diversity (AOR: 0.898; 95% CI=0.392-2.055; P > 0.005), drinking tea or coffee with a meal (AOR: 1.471 95% CI=0.715-3.026; P > 0.005) and consuming ≥3 meals/d (AOR:1.049; 95% CI: 0.510-2.158; P > 0.005). Thus, it is recommended to develop comprehensive nutritional education programs for pregnant women, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet rich in iron and other essential nutrients to prevent anemia, rather than focusing solely on early diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy.