Determinants of anemia clustering among mothers and children in Indonesia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Maternal and Child Health

Background:

• Anemia poses a significant public health challenge, particularly affecting mothers and children in Indonesia.
• Understanding the risk factors for anemia clustering within families is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe the risk factors associated with the clustering of anemia among mothers and children in Indonesian households.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study defined anemia clusters based on maternal hemoglobin levels (<12 g/dL) and youngest child's levels (<11 g/dL, aged 6-59 months).
• Data were collected from a large cohort of urban and rural Indonesian families.

Main Results:

• Anemia clustering was observed in 18.3% of urban and 15.5% of rural families.
• Factors associated with lower odds of anemia clustering included maternal overweight/obesity, older child age, child consumption of fortified milk, use of iodized salt, vitamin A supplementation, paternal smoking, and higher food expenditure.
• Conversely, older maternal age, maternal underweight, having two or more children, and more individuals sharing a kitchen were linked to greater odds of anemia clustering.

Conclusions:

• Fortified milk, iodized salt, vitamin A supplementation, and increased expenditure on diverse food sources are identified as key modifiable risk factors for reducing anemia clustering.
• These findings highlight potential targets for public health strategies to combat anemia in Indonesian mothers and children.