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Background: Anaemia is a serious global public health problem that disproportionally affects children, adolescent girls, and women of reproductive age, especially pregnant women. Women of reproductive age are more vulnerable to anaemia, particularly severe and moderate anaemia leads to adverse outcomes among pregnant women. Despite continuous Government efforts, anaemia burden still poses a serious challenge in India. The objective of this study is to assess the trends in prevalence and determinants of severe and moderate anaemia among women of reproductive age between 15 and 49 years. Method: We used three rounds of the large-scale National Family Health Survey (NFHS) India, conducted on a representative sample of households using a cross-sectional design across the country in 2005–06, 2015–16 and 2019–2021. We included all the women aged 15 to 49 years in our analysis. We used the same haemoglobin (Hb) cut-off values for all the three rounds of surveys to ensure comparability. Generalized linear regression analyses with log link were done. Survey weights were incorporated in the analysis. Results: The prevalence of severe or moderate Anaemia (SMA) in non-pregnant women was 14.20%, 12.43% and 13.98%; it was 31.11%, 25.98% and 26.66% for pregnant women in 2006, 2016 and 2021 respectively. The decline in SMA prevalence was 1.54% in non-pregnant women, whereas it was 14.30% in pregnant women in 15 years. Women who were poor, and without any formal education had a higher risk for severe and moderate Anaemia. Conclusion: Despite the intensive anaemia control program in India, SMA has not declined appreciably in non-pregnant women during the last two decades. Despite the decline, the prevalence of SMA was about 26% in pregnant women which calls for a comprehensive review of the existing anaemia control programmes and there must be targeted programmes for the most vulnerable and high-risk women such as rural, poor and illiterate women of reproductive age to reduce the burden of anaemia among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1990 and 2016 the number of adolescents with anemia world-wide increased by 20% to almost one in four. Iron deficiency in adolescence results in compromised growth, decreased cognitive function, and depressed immune function, and can increase the risk of negative outcomes in pregnancy, especially in the case of young adolescents. In India, despite several decades of governmental investment in anemia prevention and treatment, more than half of women of reproductive age are anemic, with rates even higher in the adolescent population. Although awareness of adolescence as a nutrition-sensitive developmental stage is increasing, there is a lack of qualitative research on the perspectives of adolescents and families on anemia and related services. In this study, we explored the issues influencing adolescents' awareness of anemia in three rural areas of Karnataka. Sixty-four in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents (those who had never been pregnant, pregnant adolescents, and young mothers), community members, and nutrition-related service providers in the health and education sectors. An inductive analytical approach was used. We found that adolescent girls, particularly those who have not experienced pregnancy or motherhood, had very low awareness of anemia. State programs including school-based distribution of iron and folic acid supplements and nutrition talks were not seen to be resulting in knowledge and acceptance of the importance of preventing anemia. Pregnancy represents a turning point in which adolescents are systematically tested for anemia as part of routine antenatal care, increasing their awareness of, and access to, treatment for the condition. At the same time, pregnancy represents to family and community a period to insist on a nutritious diet. For progress in anemia reduction to be made, improved age-appropriate measures specific for adolescence are required. Improving school-based nutrition outreach is an important opportunity to reach adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]