Anemia and associated factors among 6-59 months age children attending health facilities in Northeast Ethiopia: A facility based cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: In the early stages of life, anemia leads to severe negative consequences on the cognitive, growth and development of children. The Ethiopian demographic and health survey showed an increasing trend of anemia nationally. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among under-five children. Methods: A health facility based cross sectional study was conducted among 409 systematically selected children 6-59 months attending services at public and private health institutions in Kombolcha Town, Northeast Ethiopia. Data were collected using structured questioner from mother or caretakers. The data entry and analysis were done by SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression was fitted to determine associations. The odds ratio with the 95% confidence intervals were reported. Results: From the total participant 213(53.9%) were males with the mean age of 26 months (SD+15.2). The overall prevalence of anemia was 52.2% (95% CI, 46.8%-57%). Being in the age of 6-11 months (AOR= 6.23, 95% CI: 2.44, 15.95), 12-23 months (AOR= 3.74, 95%CI: 1.63, 8.60), maternal age ≥30 years (AOR=0.37 (0.18, 0.77), exclusive breast feeding until six months (AOR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.45), having low dietary diversity score (AOR=2.61, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.38), having history of diarrhea (AOR= 1.87, 95% CI: 1.12, 3.12) and having the lowest family monthly income (AOR=16.97, 95% CI: 4.95, 58.20) were identified as factors associated with anemia. Conclusion: The magnitude of anemia in children was a public health problem in the study area. child age, maternal age, exclusive breastfeeding, dietary diversity score, diarrhea and family income were found to be associated with anemia.

Maternal Anemia Emerges as a Potential Risk Factor for Anemia in Children Aged 6-59 Months in Tanzania: Evidence from the 2022 TDHS-MIS Cross-Sectional Household Survey

“…In this study, it was observed that children born to mothers aged between 20 and 29 years (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03; 2.12) and those belonging to families with three or more children per household (AOR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.02; 1.67) had a higher risk of anemia. This nding is in line with previous studies [31,36]. This may be explained by the fact that younger mothers may have less experience in care and proper feeding practices, while families with many children may face additional challenges in providing a balanced and nutritionally adequate diet for each member [31].…”

“…This nding is in line with previous studies [31,36]. This may be explained by the fact that younger mothers may have less experience in care and proper feeding practices, while families with many children may face additional challenges in providing a balanced and nutritionally adequate diet for each member [31]. Younger mothers may also be in a phase of anatomical and physiological formation, which can result in a lower reserve of nutrients.…”

“…After six months of age, children begin to introduce complementary foods into their diet. However, up to two years of age, there may be di culty in the intake of these foods, especially due to the lack of socioeconomic conditions to acquire them, which can result in nutrient de ciency and increase the likelihood of anemia [31]. Moreover, infections caused by contaminated food and water can result in gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and mouth ulcers, impairing the ability to ingest and absorb iron and other essential nutrients, which can contribute to anemia.…”

Prevalence of Anemia and its associated factors among 6- 59 months age Children visiting Public Hospitals at Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia: A Hospital-based cross-sectional study

“…In the current study, the overall prevalence of anemia among under-ve children attending Afar region public hospitals was 46.41% (95% CI: 43.8-48.9%), which is deemed to be a severe public health concern based on the WHO severity classi cation of anemia (> 40%) [30].This is comparable to studies in Kombolicha town [10], Debrebrehan (47.5%) [16], Shanan Gibe Hospital (48.9%) [31], Jimma medical center, South West Ethiopia (44.8%) [32]. However, it is lower than ndings from the national average [9], the 2016 EDHS Afar region report [9], Ghana (78.4%) [33], and Uganda (58.8%) [34].…”

“…In the current study, questionnaires that have been pretested and prepared based on prior comparable works of literature [10,15,17,27,28] were used to gather pertinent data. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, hematologic examinations, stool examinations, and anthropometric measurements.…”