Disparities in the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among children aged 6–24 months and 25–59 months in Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite global efforts made to address anaemia, the prevalence remains high in most Sub-Saharan African countries. In Ethiopia, anaemia poses a very strong public health concern. The purpose of the present study was to examine the key risk factors related to anaemia among children aged 6–24 months (younger age group) and 25–59 months (older age group). We used the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data, collected from 11 023 mothers with under five children. Ordered logistic regression modelling was used for assessing risk factors of childhood anaemia. The results suggest that the prevalence of anaemia was 72 % in the younger and 49 % in the older age groups. The risk factors for anaemia in the younger age group were morbidity (odds ratio (OR) 1⋅77; CI 1⋅21, 2⋅60), having no piped water source (OR 1⋅76; CI 1⋅07, 3⋅01) and no toilet facility (OR 1⋅60; CI 1⋅07, 2⋅38). The key risk factors for anaemia in the older age group were no micronutrient intake (OR 1⋅69; CI 1⋅23, 2⋅31), having a young mother (15–24 years old) (OR 1⋅35; CI 0⋅84, 1⋅91) and a non-working mother (OR 1⋅50; CI 1⋅15, 1⋅96). Anaemia also varied by region, place of residence and economic factors. Multiple factors contributed to the high prevalence of anaemia. Given the structural problem that the country has intervention strategies should consider the unique characteristics of regions and rural residences where the prevalence of anaemia is above the national average.

Prevalence and contributing factors of anaemia among children aged 6–24 months and 25–59 months in Mali

“…In the older age group, children who had fallen ill within the 2 weeks before the survey had a higher likelihood of anaemia. This contrasts with findings in Ethiopia, where a higher likelihood of anaemia was observed in the younger age group (10) . The illnesses reported included coughing, fever, and chest congestion.…”

“…Compared to children whose mothers were poor or illiterate, children with wealthy or educated mothers have a reduced risk of experiencing anaemia. Furthermore, maternal anaemia was found to be negatively correlated with childhood anaemia, which supports previous studies ( 10 , 16 , 17 ) . From a global perspective, regions with higher levels of socio-economic development show a lower prevalence of anaemia ( 18 ) .…”

“…For instance, infants primarily rely on breast milk to fulfil their daily nutritional requirements, while older children incorporate complementary foods into their diet. Moreover, factors such as exposure to diverse foods, feeding and childcare practices, hygiene and sanitation, and social interaction significantly impact the well-being of children ( 10 ) . Consequently, in this study, our objective was to examine the prevalence and factors associated with anaemia by dividing children under the age of five into two age groups: 6–24 months and 25–59 months.…”

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

“…Several studies has been conducted across different parts of Ethiopia on childhood anemia [12,13,15,17,[20][21][22][23]. However, there is scarcity of evidence on childhood anemia in the Northeastern part of the country where drought and food insecurity are rampant in the area.…”

Spatial farming systems diversity and micronutrient intakes of rural children in Ethiopia

“…During the first 2 years of childhood, micronutrient requirements are high, and inadequate intake during this period could result in deficiencies leading to high susceptibility to infection and mortality, limited cognitive and physical development and reduced productivity during adulthood (Biesalski & Black, 2016 ; Biesalski & Jana, 2018 ; Salgueiro et al, 2002 ) Globally, micronutrient deficiencies are widespread, and yet the largest proportion of children with key micronutrient deficiencies lives in low and middle‐income countries (Bailey et al, 2015 ; Bhutta & Salam, 2012 ; Ramakrishnan, 2002 ). In Ethiopia, children living in rural areas are the most at risk for commonly occurring micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron, vitamin A and zinc due to high level of poverty, food insecurity and intestinal parasitic infections (Desalegn et al, 2014 ; Gebreegziabher et al, 2020 ), and the magnitude of the problem varies considerably across the different administrative regions (Ethiopian Public Health Institute, 2016 ).…”