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Research & Reviews : A Journal of Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy

Prevalence of Anemia Among Reproductive Age Group (15–45 years) Women in a Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal, India: An OPD Based Survey Report

  1. K Bhattacharyya
  2. H Hait
  3. P Goswami
  4. S Pramanik
  5. SS Shitanshu
  6. M Sadhukhan
  7. A Das

Abstract

Anemia is one of the most common causes of malnutrition and it has a great public health significance affecting children, adolescents and women especially of reproductive age worldwide. Efforts have been made from time to time to tackle this condition through public health initiative but with limited success. Thus, there is a need to investigate the prevalence of anemia particularly among females in their reproductive age (15–45 years) and to find out whether iron supplementation program of the Government of India is being implemented as per the National Iron-Plus initiative. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of anemia among female patients of reproductive age in a Homoeopathic College, in Kolkata, West Bengal. A cross sectional study of analytical nature was conducted among consenting females in the reproductive age group of 15–45 years during November 2014 in the Gynecology OPD of The Calcutta Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, using random sampling technique. The data were collected by personal interview using a questionnaire. Hemoglobin estimation using colorimetric methods and study of blood smear of all the patients enrolled in this study was done. Anemia status of the study population was graded according to cut-off points for diagnosis of Anemia as laid down by WHO.Results: The prevalence rate of any Anemia was 82%. The majority of anemic women were in the category of mild (67%) to moderate (15%); severe Anemia was not found to be present in any of the patients. The most affected age group was 15-24 years being 39%. Blood films of 82 patients was of normocytic normochromic cell pattern while 17 patients were found to have microcytic hypochromic type and only one patient was found to have normocytic hypochromic Anemia.Conclusion: The study substantiates the existence of mild to moderate form of Anemia among women of reproductive age and underlines that though iron supplementation is being provided through the National Iron plus initiative, the number of females actually receiving Iron supplementation is very low. The cause behind this is worthy of being investigated and analyzed

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