Prevalence of Anemia and Its Association with Severity of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Abstract

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), affects a large number of women and significantly impacts their health, quality of life, and daily functioning. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of anemia and evaluate its association with the severity of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in women of reproductive age.

Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh (Jan–Dec 2025), included 120 women aged 25–50 years with abnormal uterine bleeding. Participants provided informed consent, and data on demographics, BMI, and bleeding severity (PBAC) were collected. Hemoglobin was measured to assess anemia per WHO criteria. Associations between AUB severity and anemia were analyzed using Chi-square and ANOVA, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: Among 120 women with AUB, most were aged 36–45 years (58.3%) with a mean age of 39.1 ± 5.9 years, and multiparous (58.4%). BMI was normal in 37.5%, overweight in 40.0%, and obese in 22.5%. Duration of symptoms was 6–12 months in 41.7%. PBAC scores indicated mild AUB in 23.3%, moderate in 43.3%, and severe in 33.3%. Anemia was present in 71.7% (mean hemoglobin 9.5 ± 1.5 g/dL), predominantly moderate (44.2%). Anemia prevalence and severity increased with AUB: 42.9% in mild, 76.9% in moderate, and 85.0% in severe, with mean hemoglobin decreasing from 11.4 to 8.1 g/dL.

Conclusion: Anemia is highly prevalent in women with abnormal uterine bleeding, with its severity increasing in parallel with the intensity of menstrual blood loss.