Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
BMC Pediatr. 2022 Nov 15;22(1):661. doi: 10.1186/s12887-022-03717-0.
Iron deficiency is one of the most important factors of anemia which is caused by poor iron intake. In addition, children need more iron because of their rapid growth. On the other side, daily intake of iron is also recommended as a standard approach for the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia. In Ethiopia, although more than half of children 6-59 months of age were affected by anemia, the magnitude and factors associated with iron intake among them are understudied. Therefore this study aimed to assess the magnitude and community and individual level determinants of iron intake among 6-59 months children in Ethiopia.
Demographic and Health Survey datasets (EDHS) were used for this study. The data were weighted using sampling weight to get valid statistical estimates. The total weighted samples of 9,218 children aged 6-59 months were included. A multilevel binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with iron intake among 6-59 months of children in Ethiopia. In the final model adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05 was taken to declare statistical significance.
The magnitude of iron intake among children 6-59 months in Ethiopia was 9.24% (95% CI: 8.31%, 10.15%). Individual level variables such as having at least one antenatal care visit (ANC) [AOR = 1.27; 95%CI; 1.01, 1.61], having health institution delivery [AOR = 1.46; 95%CI;1.04, 2.04], age of children ≥ 24 months [AOR = 1.82; 95%CI; 1.29, 2.57], being female child [AOR = 0.81; 95%CI; 0.67, 0.99], being greater than three birth order [AOR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.55, 0.98], whereas community level variables such as living in large central regions [AOR = 3.68; 95%CI; 1.47, 9.21], and living in community with high women education [AOR = 1.96; 95%CI; 1.28, 2.98] have an association with iron supplements among children 6-59 months years old in Ethiopia.
The magnitude of iron intake among children 6-59 months old in Ethiopia is relatively low. Individual level factors such as; ANC visit, institution delivery, age of children, sex of the child, and birth order as well as; community level variables such as regions, and community women's education have a significant association with iron intake among children 6-59 months in Ethiopia. Prior attention should be given for under two years old children, children greater than three birth orders, and children living in small peripheral regions. Moreover, policymakers and other stakeholders had better plan and implement programs that empower women, enhance ANC visits, and health institution delivery to have a sustainable increment in iron intake for children in Ethiopia.
缺铁是贫血的最重要原因之一，贫血是由于铁摄入不足引起的。此外，儿童由于生长迅速，需要更多的铁。另一方面，每日摄入铁也被推荐作为治疗和预防缺铁性贫血的标准方法。在埃塞俄比亚，尽管超过一半的 6-59 个月大的儿童患有贫血，但其中铁摄入量的幅度和相关因素尚未得到充分研究。因此，本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁摄入量的幅度以及社区和个体层面的决定因素。
本研究使用了人口与健康调查（EDHS）数据集。使用抽样权重对数据进行加权，以获得有效的统计估计。共纳入了 9218 名 6-59 个月大的儿童的加权总样本。使用多水平二项逻辑回归模型来确定埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁摄入量的相关因素。在最终模型中，采用调整后的优势比（95%置信区间和 p 值<0.05）来确定统计学意义。
埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁摄入量的幅度为 9.24%（95%CI：8.31%，10.15%）。个体层面的变量，如至少有一次产前保健就诊（ANC）[调整后的优势比（AOR）=1.27；95%CI；1.01，1.61]、在医疗机构分娩（AOR=1.46；95%CI；1.04，2.04）、儿童年龄≥24 个月（AOR=1.82；95%CI；1.29，2.57）、女童（AOR=0.81；95%CI；0.67，0.99）、出生顺序大于 3 个（AOR=0.73，95%CI：0.55，0.98），而社区层面的变量，如居住在大中地区（AOR=3.68；95%CI；1.47，9.21）和居住在妇女教育程度高的社区（AOR=1.96；95%CI；1.28，2.98）与埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁补充剂的摄入有关。
埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁摄入量的幅度相对较低。个体层面的因素，如 ANC 就诊、医疗机构分娩、儿童年龄、儿童性别和出生顺序，以及社区层面的因素，如地区和社区妇女教育，与埃塞俄比亚 6-59 个月儿童铁摄入量有显著关联。应优先关注两岁以下儿童、出生顺序大于 3 个的儿童和居住在小周边地区的儿童。此外，政策制定者和其他利益攸关方应更好地规划和实施赋予妇女权力、增加 ANC 就诊和医疗机构分娩的方案，以实现埃塞俄比亚儿童铁摄入量的可持续增长。
