Perceptions of pregnant women regarding anemia during pregnancy at the urban health center in Ahougnansou (North-Central Ivory Coast)

Abstract

Anemia during pregnancy is a significant concern in reducing reproductive health morbidities in Côte d'Ivoire. This research aimed to describe the meaning of anemia and analyze its explanatory factors from the perspective of pregnant women at the Ahougnansou Hospital in Bouaké, in the Centre-North region of Côte d'Ivoire. This qualitative research was descriptive and interpretive. Individual interviews were conducted with twenty (20) participating pregnant women. The research took place at the Ahougnansou Hospital in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire. The data were analyzed using content analysis supported by a thematic grid. Perceptions identified anemia during pregnancy as a reproductive health morbidity that poses a life-threatening risk to both mother and child. Its specific image was associated with insufficient blood in the body. These symptoms included fever, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, pallor, and weight loss. Its etiology was attributed to dietary restrictions. Furthermore, explanatory factors highlighted its link to irrational health behaviors such as irregular consultations, inaccessibility to advice, lack of early screening, failure to use daily oral iron and folic acid supplements, lack of financial resources, and non-compliance with a balanced diet. Examining the social representation of anemia during pregnancy sheds relevant light on the irrational health behaviors of pregnant women. However, finding appropriate and effective long-term solutions to this reproductive health issue requires midwives to be fully integrated into the lives of pregnant women and to implement targeted community health interventions in geographically and temporally identifiable populations in order to address reproductive practices that resist nutritional recommendations during the prenatal period.