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Factors associated with anemia in young children in Brazil
Lara Livia Santos da Silva1, Wafaie Wahib Fawzi2, Marly Augusto Cardoso1
1Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Insights
Anemia affects 23.1% of young Brazilian children, with inadequate feeding and illness being key risk factors. Improving nutrition and healthcare access can help prevent childhood anemia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Childhood anemia is a significant public health concern, particularly in children under 24 months.
- Despite public health efforts in Brazil, predictors of anemia in primary care settings remain under-assessed.
- This study addresses the gap by examining factors associated with anemia in young Brazilian children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the factors associated with anemia in young children attending primary public health facilities in Brazil.
- To provide evidence for targeted interventions to reduce the prevalence of childhood anemia.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 520 children aged 11-15 months in four Brazilian cities.
- Anemia diagnosis based on hemoglobin concentration < 110 g/L in venous blood samples.
- Multilevel Poisson regression models were employed to analyze associations between anemia and independent variables.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of anemia was 23.1%.
- Risk factors included cohabiting with multiple young children, delayed introduction of fruits/vegetables, stunting, prior hospitalization, and low serum folate levels.
- Specific prevalence ratios (PR) and confidence intervals (CI) were reported for each risk factor.
Conclusions:
- Inadequate complementary feeding and high morbidity are primary predictors of anemia in early childhood in Brazil.
- Recommendations include enhancing strategies for healthy complementary feeding and improving morbidity control.
- These interventions are crucial for reducing anemia prevalence in young Brazilian children.
Background:
Anemia is recognized as a major public health problem in childhood, especially in children under 24 months of age. Despite improvements in public health strategies to prevent and control anemia in Brazilian young children in the last decade, few studies have assessed the predictors for this condition in primary health care. Thus, this study aimed to assess the associated factors of anemia in young children who visited primary public health care facilities in Brazil.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 520 children aged 11 to 15 months who visited the primary health care in four Brazilian cities. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin concentration < 110 g/L in venous blood samples. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to describe the associations between anemia and independent variables.
Results:
The frequency of anemia was 23.1%. A higher frequency was observed in children who live with more than one other child younger than 5 years in the house (Prevalence Ratio [PR] 1.47; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.01-2.14), who started to receive fruits and vegetables after 8 months of age (PR 1.92; 95% CI 1.19-3.10), who were stunted (PR 2.44; 95% CI 1.32-4.50), who were hospitalized at least once in their life (PR 1.55; 95% CI 1.03-2.33) and who were in the lower tertile of serum folate concentration (PR 2.24; 95% CI 1.30-3.85).
Conclusions:
Inadequate complementary feeding practices and morbidity were the main predictors for anemia in early childhood in this population. Improvements in current strategies to promote healthy complementary feeding along with better control of morbidities are recommended to reduce anemia in Brazilian young children.
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