Hemoglobin Levels in the First and Third Trimesters of Pregnancy: A Comparison between Indigenous Papuan and Non-Indigenous Papuan Women

Hemoglobin (Hb) is a component of red blood cells that functions to
transport oxygen throughout the body. Decreased hemoglobin levels cause
anemia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that ideal Hb
levels are ≥ 11 gr/dL. Various factors such as ethnicity, environmental
conditions, age, culture, parity, nutritional value, and socioeconomic status
can affect the occurrence of anemia during pregnancy. The purpose of this
study was to determine the comparison of Hb levels in pregnant women in
the first and third trimesters, both in indigenous Papuans (OAP) and non-
OAP. This type of research is quantitative analytic with a comparative
research design. The population in this study were 290 pregnant women
who came and underwent examinations at the Malawili Health Center. The
number of pregnant women in this study was 36 people. The sampling
technique used was purposive sampling. The results showed no significant
difference (p > 0.05) in hemoglobin levels in pregnant women in the first
and third trimesters in the OAP and Non-OAP categories. The average
hemoglobin level of pregnant women in the first trimester who were
anemic and not anemic was 11,076 and in the third trimester it was 10,850.
The results of the study showed that the incidence of anemia was more
common in pregnant women in the third trimester who did not receive iron
and folic acid supplementation (non-OAP) due to lack of knowledge about
the preparations needed during pregnancy. It is recommended to increase
the role of health workers in providing information to pregnant women in
order to reduce the incidence of anemia in pregnant women.