Usanzineza Henriette, Nsereko Etienne, Niyitegeka Jean Pierre, Uwase Aline, Tuyishime Jean de Dieu H, Sunday Francois Xavier, Mazimpaka Christian, Ahishakiye Jeanine
Department of Anesthesia School of Health Science College of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Rwanda Kigali Rwanda.
Department of Nutrition School of Public Health College of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Rwanda Kigali Rwanda.
Public Health Chall. 2024 Feb 14;3(1):e159. doi: 10.1002/puh2.159. eCollection 2024 Mar.
Anemia in children is a significant health issue globally, with developing countries, notably Africa, being disproportionately affected. This condition can result in detrimental and irreversible impacts on a child's neurological development. Despite its relevance, research on anemia prevalence and risk factors in Rwandan children aged 6-23 months is limited. Our study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with anemia in this defined population.
This is a cross-sectional study that used secondary data analysis on a weighed sample of 1247 children aged 6-23 months, sourced from the 2019-2020 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey. We used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression to identify the links between anemia and various factors.
The study revealed a high prevalence of anemia at 52.79%. Among anemic children aged 6-23 months, most (52.82%) had mild anemia, 46.12% had moderate anemia, and 1.06% had severe anemia. Key contributors to childhood anemia included maternal anemia (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.62, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): [1.11, 2.33]) and history of coughing in the 2 weeks before the survey (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI: [1.12, 1.81]). Vitamin A supplementation and antiparasitic medication were identified as protective factors (AOR = 0.70, 95% CI: [0.50, 0.97]) and (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI: [0.45, 0.77]), respectively.
Given the high anemia prevalence among Rwandan children aged 6-23 months, targeted public health interventions are critically needed. A comprehensive strategy throughout the health system is essential for reducing childhood anemia, involving measures such as addressing maternal anemia, managing childhood illnesses, and enhancing existing interventions like vitamin A supplementation and deworming.
儿童贫血是全球一个重大的健康问题，发展中国家，尤其是非洲，受到的影响尤为严重。这种情况会对儿童的神经发育产生有害且不可逆转的影响。尽管其具有相关性，但关于卢旺达6至23个月大儿童贫血患病率及风险因素的研究有限。我们的研究旨在确定这一特定人群中贫血的患病率及相关潜在风险因素。
这是一项横断面研究，对来自2019 - 2020年卢旺达人口与健康调查的1247名6至23个月大儿童的加权样本进行二次数据分析。我们使用描述性统计和二元逻辑回归来确定贫血与各种因素之间的联系。
研究显示贫血患病率高达52.79%。在6至23个月大的贫血儿童中，大多数（52.82%）为轻度贫血，46.12%为中度贫血，1.06%为重度贫血。儿童贫血的主要促成因素包括母亲贫血（调整后的优势比[AOR]=1.62，95%置信区间[95%CI]：[1.11, 2.33]）以及调查前两周内的咳嗽病史（AOR = 1.42，95%CI：[1.12, 1.81]）。补充维生素A和抗寄生虫药物被确定为保护因素（分别为AOR = 0.70，95%CI：[0.50, 0.97]）和（AOR = 0.59，95%CI：[0.45, 0.77]）。
鉴于卢旺达6至23个月大儿童贫血患病率较高，迫切需要有针对性的公共卫生干预措施。整个卫生系统采取全面战略对于减少儿童贫血至关重要，这包括解决母亲贫血问题、管理儿童疾病以及加强现有干预措施，如补充维生素A和驱虫。
