Saverio Bellizzi1, Mohamed M Ali2. 1. World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Abdul Razzak Al-Sanhouri St., P.O. Box 7608 Nasr City, Cairo 11371, Egypt. 2. World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Abdul Razzak Al-Sanhouri St., P.O. Box 7608 Nasr City, Cairo 11371, Egypt. Electronic address: alim@who.int.
Abstract
CONTEXT: In low- and middle-income countries, anemia is a major public health issue in women of reproductive age for a series of factors including iron deficiency. OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence of anemia and to assess the association of low level of hemoglobin versus duration of use of oral contraceptives (OC). METHODS: Demographic and Health Surveys of 12 countries, conducted between 2005 and 2012, were analyzed. The status of anemia was separately evaluated for nonpregnant women using OC for at least 6 months, 1 year and 2 years, and for women using no method of contraception and/or using nonhormonal contraception. RESULTS: The total study population comprised 201,720 women, with 40% diagnosed with anemia; around 1 out of 25 women was using oral contraception. The current and continuous use of oral contraception was of benefit against anemia, with the risk for anemia decreasing from odds ratio (OR) 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.73] for use of at least 6 months to OR 0.56 (95% CI 0.52-0.61) for use of at least 1 year and to OR 0.50 (95% CI 0.46-0.54) for use of at least 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce evidence of the noncontraceptive benefit of long-term use of OC and provide valuable information for policy makers, family planning staff and clinicians working in low- and middle-income countries in efforts to control anemia.
CONTEXT: In low- and middle-income countries, anemia is a major public health issue in women of reproductive age for a series of factors including iron deficiency. OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence of anemia and to assess the association of low level of hemoglobin versus duration of use of oral contraceptives (OC). METHODS: Demographic and Health Surveys of 12 countries, conducted between 2005 and 2012, were analyzed. The status of anemia was separately evaluated for nonpregnant women using OC for at least 6 months, 1 year and 2 years, and for women using no method of contraception and/or using nonhormonal contraception. RESULTS: The total study population comprised 201,720 women, with 40% diagnosed with anemia; around 1 out of 25 women was using oral contraception. The current and continuous use of oral contraception was of benefit against anemia, with the risk for anemia decreasing from odds ratio (OR) 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-0.73] for use of at least 6 months to OR 0.56 (95% CI 0.52-0.61) for use of at least 1 year and to OR 0.50 (95% CI 0.46-0.54) for use of at least 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce evidence of the noncontraceptive benefit of long-term use of OC and provide valuable information for policy makers, family planning staff and clinicians working in low- and middle-income countries in efforts to control anemia.
Authors: Nicole D Ford; Ram Padarth Bichha; Kedar Raj Parajuli; Naveen Paudyal; Nira Joshi; Ralph D Whitehead; Stanley Chitekwe; Zuguo Mei; Rafael Flores-Ayala; Debendra P Adhikari; Sanjay Rijal; Maria Elena Jefferds Journal: Matern Child Nutr Date: 2020-03-10 Impact factor: 3.092