DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2026.v14i06.021

Pages: 1001-1004

Background: Maternal anemia is one of the major public health issues and a common complication of pregnancy worldwide, mainly in low and middle income communities. It has a significant association with poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. Limited studies reported the severity and associated factors of maternal anemia in southern Jordan. Objective: To study the severity of maternal anemia for pregnant women seeking antenatal care at Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein Military Hospital in Al Karak, south of Jordan. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among pregnant females diagnosed with anemia during routine antenatal care. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including sociodemographic data, antenatal booking time, dietary habits, and iron and multivitamin supplements use. Hemoglobin level was measured during antenatal visits, and anemia severity was classified according to World Health Organization criteria. Data were analyzed using frequencies for descriptive statistics, independent t tests was used to identify significant mean differences of Hemoglobin level between different groups, and Pearson correlation analysis to identify Hemoglobin level correlation with several variables. Results: A total of 154 anemic pregnant women were included. Most cases were had mild (49.4%) to moderate anemia (48.7%), The mean hemoglobin level was 9.77 ± 1.0 g/dL. Late antenatal booking was detected in 77.3% of participants, and only 46.8% were adherent to iron and multivitamin treatment. Pregnant women who used supplements had significantly higher hemoglobin levels compared with non users (10.5 ± 0.83 vs. 9.0 ± 0.85 g/dL; p < 0.001). Hemoglobin level had a strong significant negative correlation with lack of supplement use (r = −0.717, p < 0.001) and a weak significant positive correlation with educational level (r = 0.163, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Maternal anemia is common among pregnant women receiving antenatal care in southern Jordan, with most cases diagno