Pregnant Women's Perceptions of Anaemia in Pregnancy at the Urban Health Facility in Ahougnansou (Centre-north Côte D'ivoire)

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is an issue of concern in the reduction of reproductive health morbidity in Côte d’Ivoire. This research aimed to describe the meaning of anaemia and analyze its explanatory factors from the perspective of pregnant women in a hospital setting in Ahougnansou in the city of Bouaké in the Centre-North of Côte d’Ivoire. Methods This qualitative research was descriptive-interpretive. Using this approach, individual interviews were conducted with twenty (20) participating pregnant women. The research took place in the hospital environment of Ahougnansou in the city of Bouaké in Côte d’Ivoire. The data were analyzed using a conventional inductive content analysis supported by a thematic grid. Results Perceptions have identified anaemia in pregnancy as a life-threatening reproductive morbidity for both mother and child. Its specific image has been associated with a lack of blood in the body. Symptoms have included fever, dizziness, fatigue, lack of appetite, pallor and thinness. Its aetiology has been attributed to food bans. In addition, the explanatory logics noted its link with irrational health behaviours such as irregular consultations, inaccessibility to edifying advice, lack of early detection, lack of use of daily oral iron and folic acid supplementation, lack of mobilization of financial resources and non-observance of a balanced diet. Conclusion Examination of the social representation of anaemia in pregnancy leads to relevant insights into the irrational health behaviours of pregnant women. On the other hand, the search for appropriate and effective long-term solutions to this reproductive health morbidity requires the immersion of midwives in the living environment of pregnant women and specific community health actions in populations that can be located in space and time in order to circumscribe the reproductive practices involved in resistance to nutritional recommendations in the prenatal period.