Socioeconomic factors associated with anemia among children aged 6-59 months in Namibia

Abstract

Background: Anaemia remains a public health concern, and the its prevalence varies between countries as well as between age, sex and levels of poverty. This study aims at examining the association between socio-demographic factors and anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in Namibia. Methods: Data was extracted from the 2013 Namibian Demographic Health Survey. The association between anaemia and other factors was examined with logistic regression. Results are reported in odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: In total, 1,383 children aged 6–59 months had complete data and included in the analyses. Our study shows that there is a statistically significantly increased risk of anaemia among children from poorer households compared with the richest quintile. Also, there was a statistically significance supporting anaemia being more common among boys than girls. There was also a statistically significant negative effect related to age. Discussion: Our study shows that young children, boys and children in poorer households have an increased risk of anaemia. Considering the adverse impact of anaemia on child development, policies must prioritise factors exacerbating anaemia risk.

Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling of child anemia in Ethiopia using conditional autoregressive model

“…As the wealth index category of women becomes poorer, there is a high likelihood of having anemic children as compared to women with better socio-economic status. This finding was consistent with studies done in sub-Saharan Africa 35 , 36 , Namibia 37 Guinea 38 , Uganda 39 and India 40 . Ethiopia is a poorly developed country and its people rely on seasonal farming.…”

Prevalence of Anaemia, Iron Deficiency, and Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Women of Reproductive Age and Children under 5 Years of Age in South Africa (1997–2021): A Systematic Review

“…Overall, the prevalence of anaemia is highest in children ages 1 month to 30 months old compared to all other age groups in the South African population. This correlates to a recent finding in Namibia, where a higher anaemia prevalence was observed among children ages 6–24 months, and that anaemia prevalence decreases with age, possibly because older children can consume more food rich in iron compared to infants [ 50 ].…”

“…One of the studies had strict inclusion criteria resulting in highly selective healthy participants [ 32 ], which could have blurred the true prevalence of anaemia in the studied group. Other studies from African countries showed that younger children of less than 2 years, boys, and children from poorer households have an increased risk of anemia [ 13 , 50 ]. Poor access to health services and inadequate feeding remains important causes of anaemia which could result in impaired physical and intellectual capacity in children later in life.…”

“…In view of the adverse effect of anaemia and ID on WRA and child development, national policies on nutrition and factors exacerbating anaemia and ID risk should be prioritised [ 50 ]. Although food fortification and supplementation are not a panacea for all types of anaemia, evidence abounds that food fortification on a large scale can reduce anaemia in populations when it is effectively implemented.…”

Anemia among Syrian Refugee Children Aged 6 to 23 Months Living in Greater Beirut, Lebanon, including the Voices of Mothers’ and Local Healthcare Staff: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…Two-thirds of Syrian refugee households were found to live below the poverty line and one-third of households in Lebanon were moderately to severely food insecure [ 12 ]. Existing literature demonstrated that low socio-economic status is associated with a higher burden of anemia among children aged 6 to 59 months [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. In our study conducted in Lebanon in 2018, we found that Syrian refugee children aged 0 to 59 months had two times the odds of being anemic, when the mother was anemic, too.…”