Table 2.
Characteristics of child bearing age women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| Characteristic | Number of participants n (%) |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| Mean (SD) range: 15–49 | 29.05 (±10.14) |
| Education | |
| University | 166 (17.1) |
| Secondary | 212 (21.9) |
| Intermediate | 196 (20) |
| Primary | 177 (18.4) |
| Illiterate | 218 (22.6) |
| Marital status | |
| Single | 425 (43.9) |
| Married | 499 (51.8) |
| Widow | 29 (2.8) |
| Divorce/separated | 16 (1.6) |
| Occupation (n = 804) | |
| Office employee | 102 (14) |
| Student | 210 (28.6) |
| House wife | 492 (57.4) |
| Body mass index (n = 928) | |
| Normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) | 331 (35.7) |
| Underweight (<18.5 kg/m2) | 54 (5.8) |
| Overweight (≥25–29.9 kg/m2) | 241 (26) |
| Obese (≥30 kg/m2) | 302 (32.5) |
| Menstrual history | |
| Frequency of menstruation (n = 899) | |
| Once per month | 865 (89.2) |
| Twice or more per month | 34 (3.5) |
| Duration of menstruation (n = 822) | |
| Normal duration (5–7 days) | 773 (94) |
| ≥8 days per month | 49 (6) |
| Passing clots during menstruation (n = 864) | |
| No | 737 (76.5) |
| Yes | 227 (23.5) |
| Heavy flow of menstrual blood (n = 864) | |
| No | 807 (83.7) |
| Yes | 157 (16.3) |
| Obstetric history | |
| Number of children (n = 466) | |
| Children 1–5 | 310 (66.5) |
| Children >5 | 156 (33.5) |
| Birth interval (n = 431) | |
| >1 year | 364 (84.5) |
| ≤1 year | 67 (15.5) |
| Use of oral contraceptive pills (n = 624) | |
| No | 430 (69) |
| Yes | 194 (31) |
| Duration of oral contraceptive use (n = 194) | |
| <2 years | 114 (58.7) |
| >2 to <5 years | 59 (28) |
| >5 years | 21 (10) |
| Use of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) (n = 509) | |
| No | 447 (87.8) |
| Yes | 62 (12.2) |
| Dietary factors | |
| Red meat (n = 964) | |
| Yes | 514 (53.3) |
| No | 450 (46.7) |
| Vegetables | |
| Yes | 626 (64.7) |
| No | 343 (35.3) |
| Tea and coffee | |
| Yes | 264 (27.4) |
| No | 700 (72.6) |
| Juices | |
| Yes | 220 (21.6) |
| No | 748 (77.4) |
| Soft drinks (n = 964) | |
| Yes | 363 (37.7) |
| No | 601 (62.3) |
| Diluted yogurt (lasi) | |
| Yes | 521 (54) |
| No | 443 (46) |
| Eggs | |
| Yes | 430 (44.4) |
| No | 539 (55.6) |
| Disease status | |
| Peptic ulcer | |
| No | 931 (96.6) |
| Yes | 33 (3.4) |
| Hemorrhoids (n = 964) | |
| No | 916 (95) |
| Yes | 48 (5) |
| Cancer (n = 964) | |
| No | 950 (98.5) |
| Yes | 14 (1.5) |
| Bilharzias | |
| No | 952 (98.8) |
| Yes | 12 (1.2) |
| Blood transfusion | |
| No | 950 (98.5) |
| Yes | 14 (1.5) |
| Past history of hereditary blood disorder | |
| No | 955 (99.1) |
| Yes | 9 (0.9) |
| Family history of hereditary blood disorder | |
| No | 954 (99) |
| Yes | 10 (1.0) |
| Past history of iron deficiency anemia | |
| No | 863 (89.5) |
| Yes | 101 (10.5) |
| Past family history of iron deficiency anemia | |
| No | 874 (90.7) |
| Yes | 90 (9.3) |