Introduction:

anemia during pregnancy has been associated with increased maternal and perinatal mortality, as well as complications for the baby.

Objective:

to analyze the factors associated with the presence of anemia in pregnant women identified using the gestational week criterion and the World Health Organization cutoff point.

Methods:

cross-sectional study with a sample of 990 postpartum women living in the Greater Vitória Metropolitan Region - Espírito Santo, treated in public maternity hospitals and those affiliated with the Unified Health System of the region. They were classified as anemic and non-anemic according to both criteria, which allowed the analysis of the frequencies of anemia according to sociodemographic, clinical and obstetric factors, lifestyle habits and guidance on healthy eating. The chi- square and Fisher’s exact tests were used, followed by multiple logistic regressions in the statistical analyses.

Results:

a significant difference was found in the prevalence of anemia during pregnancy according to the criteria used, with 29.6% according to the World Health Organization criteria and 4.6% according to the gestational week. In the method by gestational week, women with up to eight years of schooling had a greater chance of anemia when compared to women with nine years or more (ORa = 3.43; 95% CI = 1.30-9.03) and smokers had a greater chance of anemia when compared to non-smokers (ORa = 4.86; 95% CI = 1.95-12.11). In the method proposed by the World Health Organization, only smoking was associated with a greater chance of anemia (ORa = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.10-2.81).

Conclusion:

the findings can be applied to the management of anemia during prenatal care and help in the implementation of public policies for pregnant women.

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