Risk factors for anemia in children under 6 years of age in Ethiopia: analysis of the data from the cross-sectional Malaria Indicator Survey, 2007

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
• Personal Author:
  Reithinger, R. ; Ngondi, J.M. ; Graves, P.M. ; Hwang, J. ; Getachew, A. ; Jima, D.
• Corporate Authors:
  Ethiopia Malaria Indicator Survey Working Group
• Description:
  Background:
  
  Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity in Ethiopia. However, its transmission varies in both space and time, and large areas of the country are hypoendemic and epidemic-prone. The Ethiopia National Malaria Indicator Survey 2007 is a cross-sectional, nationally-representative household survey. The objective of the analyses presented here were to use the survey’s data to identify factors associated with anemia presence in children under 6 years of age (U6); specifically, investigate the association between malaria and anemia; and discuss using anemia as a malaria proxy biomarker in the Ethiopian hypo-endemic transmission setting.
  
  Methods:
  
  The survey sampled 4185 households in 347 enumeration areas ≤2500 m above sea level. Primary outcome was increasing anemia severity in sampled children: no anemia (Hb: ≥11g/dl); mild anemia (Hb: ≥8g/dl and <11g/dl); and moderate-severe anemia (Hb: <8g/dl). Secondary outcomes were positive malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or blood slide microscopy.
  
  Results:
  
  The analysis included 6054 (92.0%) children U6 in 3962 households. The proportion of children with no anemia, mild anemia, and moderate-severe anemia was 63.6%, 31.3%, and 5.1%, respectively. The overall prevalence of anemia (Hb <11g/dl) was 36.4% (95% CI 34.4–38.4). Factors independently associated with reduced relative odds of anemia categories were age (0R=0.7, 95% CI 0.7–0.7) and female sex (0R=0.9, 95% CI 0.8–1.0); malaria RDT positivity was associated with increased relative odds of a more severe anemia category (0R=5.8, 95% CI 3.7–9.2).
  
  Conclusions:
  
  We conclude that at altitudes ≤2500 m malaria appears to be a significant risk factor for anemia; potentially anemia could be used as a useful proxy biomarker for malaria and its control in Ethiopia.
  
  
• Keywords:
  Anemia Attitude To Health Biomarkers Child, Preschool Comorbidity Cross-Sectional Studies Ethiopia Female Health Surveys Hemoglobins Humans Infant Infant, Newborn Malaria Male Prevalence Risk Factors

  More +
• Source:
  Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 107(12):769-776
• Pubmed ID:
  24218415
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10563508
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  107
• Issue:
  12
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:3ecd7548df72162f5163ab376bc7b781eeac1f2a77f96b73a5751b08e8494e6f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/134128/cdc_134128_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 271.93 KB ]