Prevalence and Determinants of Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Pregnant Women and Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Anemia among women of reproductive age is one of India's most persistent nutritional problems, and its burden is not spread evenly across the country. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, two of the most populous states, record some of the highest rates, yet few studies examine pregnant women and adolescent girls side by side in these settings. This study estimated anemia prevalence and identified its determinants in both groups. We analysed cross-sectional data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019 to 2021), covering 4,847 pregnant women and 21,358 adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years. Anemia was classified using standard haemoglobin thresholds measured from capillary blood, and multivariable logistic regression assessed associated factors. Anemia affected 63.1 percent of pregnant women in Bihar and 50.4 percent in Uttar Pradesh; among adolescent girls the figures were 63.5 and 49.8 percent. Low maternal education, the poorest wealth quintile, Scheduled Caste or Tribe membership, rural residence, higher parity, and short birth spacing carried higher odds of anemia. Coverage of iron and folic acid supplementation stayed low in both states. The findings support state-specific programmes that reach girls well before they become pregnant.