Prevalence and risk factors of anemia in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Public Health
• Hematology

Background:

• Anemia is a significant global health issue in children.
• Early childhood education day care centers (CMEI) are critical environments for monitoring child health.
• Understanding anemia prevalence and contributing factors in this setting is vital for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of anemia among children in CMEI nurseries in Colombo-PR.
• To identify factors associated with anemia in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 334 children from 26 randomly selected CMEI nurseries.
• Data collected via parental interviews, direct food weighing for iron intake assessment, and hemoglobin measurement.
• Statistical analysis included bivariate tests and multiple logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Anemia prevalence was 34.7% in the study population.
• Associated factors included younger maternal age (<28 years), male gender, children under 24 months, and low intake of iron-rich foods (meat, beans, leafy greens).
• While no direct association was found with CMEI iron intake, overall iron consumption was below recommended levels, with higher anemia rates in children with below-median iron intake.

Conclusions:

• Anemia presents a moderate public health problem in the studied CMEI population.
• Interdisciplinary actions are necessary to reduce anemia prevalence in these childcare settings.
• Targeted nutritional interventions focusing on iron intake are recommended.