Relationships Between PM2.5 and Hemoglobin Among Reproductive Women in Africa

The effects of toxic air in the form of air pollution are known to harm women’s health. New data has shown that air pollution has effects on maternal anemia. Yet the effects of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) on hemoglobin among reproductive maternal (15-49 years) has been understudied. In this population-based study, we study the region-specific associations between prevalence of hemoglobin among reproductive women and PM2.5 in 43 countries of Africa from 2000-2019. Using generalized linear regression models, we found that after adjusting for key covariates, PM2.5 had a slight negative association with hemoglobin among reproductive women. Other studies are needed in other low-income settings to expand our findings.