Prevalence and predictors of anemia among children under 5 years of age in Arusha District, Tanzania.

Autor:	Kejo D; Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania., Petrucka PM; Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania.; College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada., Martin H; Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania., Kimanya ME; Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania., Mosha TC; Department of Food Technology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics [Pediatric Health Med Ther] 2018 Feb 05; Vol. 9, pp. 9-15. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Feb 05 (Print Publication: 2018).
DOI:	10.2147/PHMT.S148515
Abstrakt:	Anemia is a global health problem affecting most developing countries. We examined the prevalence of anemia and its predictors among children under 5 years of age in Arusha District, Tanzania. Random sampling technique was used to identify 436 children aged 6-59 months. Anemia status was assessed by measuring hemoglobin concentration from blood sample obtained from a finger prick and HemoCue ® Hb 201+ photometer. Demographic information and dietary intake data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Anemia cut-off points were defined according to World Health Organization standards for children aged 6-59 months. Logistic regression using backward procedure was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Prevalence rate of anemia among under-fives was found to be 84.6% (n=369). Multivariable logistic regression identified the following predictors of anemia; low birth weight (adjusted OR (AOR): 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-3.8), not consuming meat (AOR: 6.4, 95% CI: 3.2-12.9), not consuming vegetables (AOR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-4.1), drinking milk (AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1-5.2), and drinking tea (AOR: 4.5, 95% CI: 1.5-13.7). It was concluded that low birth weight and dietary factors (ie, low or nonconsumption of iron-rich foods like meat, vegetables, and fruits) were predictors of anemia among under-five children living in this rural setting. Community education on exclusive breastfeeding and introduction of complementary foods should be improved. Mothers and caretakers should be educated about nutrition, in general, as well as potential use of micronutrient powder to improve the nutritional quality of complementary foods. Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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