Anemia and Its Associated Factors among Adult Female Patients Attending Medicine Outpatient Departments in Bangladesh

Open Access

Abstract

Introduction: Anemia remains one of the most common nutritional and public health problems among adult women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where it contributes to considerable morbidity and reduced quality of life. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the factors associated with anemia among adult female patients attending the Medicine Outpatient Department of a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Medicine Outpatient Department, Sirajganj Medical College, Sirajganj, Bangladesh, from February 2025 to January 2026. A total of 104 adult female patients were selected as study subjects by purposive sampling technique. Data were entered, cleaned, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: The study found some selected sociobiology of females with anemia. The incidence of anemia was 46.2%, with 52.1% of cases being mild. Anemia was significantly associated with lower educational status (50.0% vs. 28.6%; p=0.028), monthly family income <20,000 BDT (41.7% vs. 17.9%; p=0.011), underweight BMI (33.3% vs. 7.1%; p=0.001), heavy menstrual bleeding (45.8% vs. 17.9%; p=0.003), and inadequate iron-rich food intake (72.9% vs. 44.6%; p=0.004). Underweight BMI (AOR=3.21), heavy menstrual bleeding (AOR=2.84), low income (AOR=2.63), and inadequate iron-rich food intake (AOR=2.51) were independent predictors of anemia. Conclusion: The present study revealed that anemia remains a substantial health concern among adult female patients, with nearly one-half of the participants being affected. Mild anemia constituted the predominant severity category. Significant associations were observed between anemia and lower educational attainment, lower monthly family income, underweight body mass index, heavy menstrual bleeding, and inadequate consumption of iron-rich foods.