The Effect of Red Spinach Consumption on Hb Levels in Pregnant Women with Anemia at Budi Satia Langoan General Hospital
Keywords:
Hemoglobin, Local Food, Pregnancy-Related Anemia, Pregnant Women, Red SpinachAbstract
Anemia during pregnancy remains a health issue that increases the risk of complications for both the mother and the fetus. In addition to iron supplement tablets, the consumption of local iron-rich foods, such as red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor), has the potential to serve as a complementary intervention to increase hemoglobin (Hb) levels. This study aimed to analyze the effect of red amaranth consumption on Hb levels in pregnant women with anemia at Budi Satia Langowan General Hospital. The study employed a pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest–posttest approach. The sample consisted of 30 pregnant women with anemia selected using total sampling. Hb levels were measured before and after the intervention, which consisted of consuming 100 grams of red spinach daily for one week. Data were analyzed univariately and bivariately using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. The results showed an increase in the mean Hb level from 10.23 g/dL before the intervention to 11.38 g/dL after the intervention. Statistical analysis indicated a significant effect of red spinach consumption on the increase in Hb levels in pregnant women with anemia (p=0.000). These findings suggest that red spinach has the potential to serve as an effective, locally sourced dietary intervention to complement iron supplement tablets. The use of red spinach may be considered in nutrition education during antenatal care to support the prevention and management of anemia during pregnancy.
References
Astuti, R., & Wijaya, M. (2022). The effectiveness of red spinach biscuits in increasing hemoglobin levels in multiparous pregnant women. Indonesian Journal of Midwifery, 13(2), 114–122.
Brown, L. M., & Green, J. K. (2023). Nutritional interventions for iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy: A systematic review of plant-based sources. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 160(1), 45–55.
Daru, J., Zamora, J., Fernández-Félix, B. M., Vogel, J., Oladapo, O. T., Morisaki, N., & Khan, K. S. (2018). Risk of maternal mortality in women with severe anemia during pregnancy and the postpartum period: A multilevel analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 6(5), e548–e554. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30078-0
Fitriani, A., & Wulandari, S. (2024). Factors influencing adherence to the consumption of local iron-rich foods among pregnant women in rural areas. Journal of Maternal Nutrition and Health, 16(1), 34–42.
Fitriani, D., Nurhidayah, S., & Rahmawati, E. (2023). Factors associated with anemia among pregnant women in Indonesia: A cross-sectional study. Kesmas: National Public Health Journal, 18(2), 120–128.
Handayani, R., Sari, N., & Lestari, P. (2022). Nutritional potential of Amaranthus tricolor as a functional food to improve hemoglobin levels: A literature review. Jurnal Gizi Indonesia, 11(2), 115–123.
Hidayat, N., & Sulistyo, B. (2023). The effect of nutritional competition during adolescent pregnancy on the risk of iron-deficiency anemia. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 11(2), 101–110.
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2018). 2018 National Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) report. Agency for Health Research and Development.
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. (2023). Indonesia health profile 2023. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.
Ningsih, S., Rahmawati, D., & Putri, N. (2023). Effectiveness of red spinach consumption in increasing hemoglobin among pregnant women with anemia. Indonesian Journal of Midwifery, 14(1), 22–30.
Nugroho, A., & Wijayanti, K. (2025). The role of vitamin C in enhancing the absorption of non-heme iron in the gastrointestinal tract: A biochemical review. Indonesian Journal of Medical Sciences, 9(1), 54–63.
Pavord, S., Daru, J., Prasannan, N., Robinson, S., Stanworth, S., & Girling, J. (2020). UK guidelines on the management of iron deficiency in pregnancy. British Journal of Haematology, 188(6), 819–830. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.16221
Pratama, A. Y., Handayani, S., & Ramadhan, F. (2024). Utilization of the local superfood Amaranthus tricolor L. as a strategy to accelerate the reduction of stunting and maternal anemia. Indonesian Journal of Public Health, 18(2), 89–98.
Pratiwi, A., Hidayati, N., & Wulandari, D. (2021). Red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor) as dietary therapy for anemia: A review. International Journal of Nursing and Health Services, 4(3), 373–381.
Putri, R. A., & Rahmawati, D. (2024). Characteristics of high parity and iron reserve depletion among multigravid pregnant women at a community health center. Nusantara Medical Journal, 41(3), 150–158.
Rahayu, S., & Utami, T. (2023). Analysis of the influence of educational level and employment status on nutritional literacy among anemic pregnant women. Journal of Public Health, 11(2), 76–84.
Rahman, M. M., Abe, S. K., Rahman, M. S., Kanda, M., Narita, S., Bilano, V., & Shibuya, K. (2016). Maternal anemia and risk of adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(2), 495–504. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.107896
Rahman, S. A., & Keswara, N. W. (2026). Analysis of factors affecting pregnant women in the second trimester in consuming iron supplements. Ventilator Journal, 4(1), 139–150. https://doi.org/10.59680/ventilator.v4i1.2305
Sari, R. P., Widyawati, M. N., & Astuti, D. (2021). Compliance with iron tablet consumption and hemoglobin levels among pregnant women in Indonesia. Jurnal Gizi dan Pangan, 16(3), 165–173.
Smith, J. A., & Jones, R. T. (2022). Bioavailability of iron from red versus green leafy vegetables: A randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 115(4), 1020–1029.
Stevens, G. A., Paciorek, C. J., Flores-Urrutia, M. C., et al. (2022). National, regional, and global estimates of anemia by severity in women and children for 2000–2019: A pooled analysis of population-representative data. The Lancet Global Health, 10(5), e627–e639. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00084-5
World Health Organization. (2024). Anemia in women and children. World Health Organization.
Wulandari, E., & Utami, S. (2025). Complementary midwifery care involving the provision of red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor) to address second-trimester anemia. Indonesian Scientific Journal of Midwifery, 16(1), 12–21.
Young, M. F., Oaks, B. M., Tandon, S., Martorell, R., Dewey, K. G., & Wendt, A. S. (2019). Maternal hemoglobin concentrations across pregnancy and maternal and child health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1450(1), 47–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14093
