Magnitudes of Anemia and Its Determinant Factors Among Lactating Mothers in East African Countries: Using the Generalized Mixed-Effect Model

Abstract

Background: The number of studies on the magnitude of anemia and its determinant factors among lactating mothers is limited in East African countries regardless of its multivariate consequences. Even though few studies were conducted on the magnitude of anemia and its determinants, most of them focused on the country level and different parts of countries. Therefore, the current study is aimed to determine the magnitude of anemia and determinant factors among lactating mothers in East African countries.Methods: From nine East African countries, a total weighted sample of 25,425 lactating mothers was included in the study. Determinate factors of anemia were identified using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Variables with a p < 0.05 in the final GLMM model were stated to confirm significant association with anemia.Result: The magnitude of anemia in East African countries was found to be 36.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 35.55%, 36.75%]. Besides, as for the generalized linear mixed-effect model, age, educational status, working status, country of residence, wealth index, antenatal care service, place of delivery, history of using family planning in a health facility, current pregnancy, and visited by fieldworker in the last 12 months were factors that have a significant association with anemia in lactating mothers.Conclusion: In East Africa, more than one-third of lactating mothers have anemia. The odds of anemia were significantly low among young mothers (15–34), who had primary education, were working, country of residence, and higher wealth index (middle and high). In addition, the likelihood of anemia was also low among lactating mothers who had antenatal care, used family planning, delivered at a health facility, were pregnant during the survey, and visited by fieldworkers. Therefore, promoting maternal care services (family planning, Antenatal Care (ANC), and delivery at health facilities) and a field visit by health extension workers are strongly recommended.

Anaemia, Morphological Classification and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Lactating Mothers at Mbarara City Council Health Centre IV, Southwestern Uganda

“…The prevalence of anaemia in this study is however lower than the prevalence reported in East Africa 36.5%, 18 Myanmar 73.8%, 8 India 62.9%, 9 Binjai in Indonesia 52%, 22 Ethiopia,43% 23 and Somalia 48.7%. 11 The lower prevalence of anaemia could be attributed to geographical location, feeding habits, differences in sample size and socioeconomic status of these lactating mothers in these studies compared to ours.…”

“…Anaemia in lactating mothers remains a public health burden affecting both the mother and the newborn. 18 We determined the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among lactating mothers at Mbarara City Health Centre IV (MCHC-IV). The overall prevalence of anaemia among lactating mothers was 24.6%.…”

Anemia and Associated Factors Among Lactating Women in Sierra Leone: An Analysis of the Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey 2019

“…16 However, this prevalence is far lower than the prevalence of anemia among lactating women in India (63%) 32 and higher than that in East Africa (36.15%). 27 The increased prevalence of anemia among lactating women in this study as compared to the prevalence of anemia among the entire population of women in the reproductive age group could be due to the additional nutrition requirements (including iron requirements) needed for the production of adequate quantity of milk, whereas the difference between the prevalence of anemia in this study and that among lactating women in India could be attributed to the study population, time gap and study setting among others.…”

“…This is in-line with a study carried out in East Africa. 27 This is not surprising as these women never got the opportunity to receive services offered by the field (health) workers. The field (health) workers offer health education, referral and follow-up of the lactating women within their communities as part the routine outreaches, they carry out.…”

“…These included determinants of anemia among lactating women based on evidence from available literature and data. 4 , 26 , 27 Twenty explanatory variables were used and they included: maternal age, wealth index, place of residence, region, level of education, household size, sex of household head, working status, marital status, religion problems seeking permission and distance to health facility, exposure to mass media, visited by field health worker, maternal parity, contraceptives use, postnatal care, skilled birth attendance, being given or having bought iron supplements during antenatal care (ANC), body mass index (BMI) status and ANC frequency .…”