Magnitude of Anemia and Associated Factors in Children Aged 6-59 Months at Keranyo Health Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2021-02
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Anemia impairs physical capacity and work performance in all age groups. In
children, anemia affects cognitive and motor development because of the need for adequate
oxygen carrying capacity during the critical first few years of life when mental and physical
growth are occurring at their fastest. In Ethiopia, Anemia among children aged 6-59 months
children categorized as severe public health problem. Regular monitoring of the magnitude
anemia and its predicting factors is helpful for appropriate intervention.
Objective: To assess the magnitude of anemia and associated factors in children aged 6-59
months at Keranyo health center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopiafrom January 01 to February 30, 2020.
Method: A cross sectional health facility based study wasconducted among 427 children aged 6
to 59 months. Convenient sampling technique was used to include the participants. Pretested and
structured questionnaire was used to collect socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of
the family and child. Data on nutritional status and capillary blood sample was collected from
each child. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios with the
corresponding 95% confidence intervals.P-values less than 0.05 was also used to declare
statistical significance.
Result: Of the total 427 children, 210 (49.2%) were males. The overall prevalence of anemia
among children aged 6-59 months was 177(41.5%) (95% CI: 36.8% - 45.9%). Of the anemic
under-five children, 14(3.3%) had mild, 149(34.9%) moderate and 14(3.3%) had severe anemia.
Children whose maternal education is below elementary((AOR=3.82, 95% CI = (1.66, 8.77)),
children who had fever in the last 2 weeks (AOR=2.13; 95% CI: (1.33, 3.42)), who consumed tea
(AOR=2.17; 95% CI: (1.20, 3.93)) and with mothers who was not supplemented with iron during
their last pregnancy (AOR=3.02; 95% CI: (1.40-6.55)) were more likely to become anemic.
Conclusion: This study confirmed thatthemagnitude of anemia in children aged 6-59 months in
Keranyo health centeris in the severe public health category. Educational and occupational status
of the mother, child history of fever in the last two weeks, child tea consumption and maternal
iron supplementation during pregnancy were factors associated with anemia in those children (659
months).Therefore, strengthening awareness and bringingbehavioural change in order to
increase the knowledge of reproductive women about anemia is warranted.
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Keywords
Anemia