Analysis of the Effect of Dietary Diversity on Anemia in Women of Reproductive Age in Senegal

Introduction: Anemia in women of reproductive age is a common health problem in Senegal. The objective of this research was to study the contribution of dietary diversity in the fight against anemia in women of reproductive age in two regions of Senegal using the propensity score method. Methodology: An observational, cross-sectional and analytical study of women of reproductive age and their households was conducted in the Kolda and Kedougou regions in 2015. This was a three-stage random sample survey. The data was collected during an individual interview. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify the risk factor for this anemia. Results: In this study, 1926 women of reproductive age were surveyed. The average age of women of reproductive age surveyed was 27.2 years with a standard deviation of 7.6 years. The median age was 26 years old. Married women were in the majority. Pregnant and lactating women were 43.8%. The percentage of women with adequate diets was 31.5%. The proportion of women with anemia was 51.8%, or 998 women of reproductive age. Adequate dietary diversity is the main factor associated with anemia in these women (OR = 0.75 (0.59 - 0.96)). Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age is still high in the southern regions of Senegal. To combat this phenomenon, it is therefore necessary to intensify interventions on the balance of diet, iron and folic acid supplementation in pregnant and lactating women and to strengthen the empowerment of women.