Making a Case for Calcium Supplementation for Prevention of Pregnancy Hypertension in Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: Calcium supplementation significantly reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia, a major cause of maternal death and pre-term birth. The World Health Organization recommends preventive elemental calcium supplementation for all pregnant women living in areas with low calcium intake. Currently, no intake data is available in Ethiopia to inform the policy decision to include calcium supplementation in the existing antenatal care program. We used data from the 2011 Ethiopian National Food Consumption Survey (ENFCS) to identify regions with low dietary calcium intake and to determine factors associated with calcium intake. Methods: Nationally and regionally representative ENFCS data from 7549 women of 15-45 y, weighted for relative population sizes,) were analyzed. ANOVA was used to determine which regions were consuming low calcium levels (defined as <900 mg). Univariate general linear model was used to identify determinants of calcium intake. Results: All regions were found to consume below 900 mg of calcium per day, with women in the Afar region consuming the highest levels (416.87±1.002 mg; p<0.05). Women with a higher educational status, socio-economic status, and those living in rural areas were associated with higher calcium consumption (p<0.05). The mean intake of women below the age of 30 y (276.06 ±1.00 mg) was significantly higher than women between 30-40 y (251.77±1.00 mg) and above 40y (262.42±1.002 mg) (p<0.05). Conclusions: Calcium supplementation is recommended for antenatal care in all regions of Ethiopia. Improving women's education and socioeconomic status may help to increase the calcium intake of women.