Contextualising Anaemia Among Reproductive Women in West Bengal: Trends, Patterns, and Predictors

Anaemia poses a public health challenge, impacting numerous individuals and posing significant health risks. This study examines the prevalence and trends of anaemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) in West Bengal, as well as the factors associated with it from 2015 to 2021. This study analysed 14,032 and 15,870 WRA aged 15–49 from the fourth and fifth National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5), respectively, using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. The findings revealed that, anaemia in West Bengal has increased from 62.5% to 71.4%, marking a 9-percentage-point (PP) rise from NFHS-4. District-wise analysis revealed a notable increase in anaemia across all districts, where Murshidabad experienced the highest increase, at 20 pp. Other districts with significant increases include Nadia (16 PP), Malda (14 PP), and Paschim Medinipur (14 PP). However, South 24 Parganas and Purulia were the only districts where anaemia rates witnessed a decline between the survey periods. In both surveys, Kolkata exhibited the lowest prevalence rate. Regression analysis revealed that the odds of having anaemia were higher among older women compared to younger women, women with more children compared to those with no children, women who breastfed compared to those who did not, and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women compared to women from other social groups.