Distal Risk Factors Affecting Anemia in Children 6-59 Months: Analysis Data of Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey 2015

Anemia sanitation cattle distal agricultural land

Authors

30 June 2024
Photo by Fermin Rodriguez Penelas on Unsplash

Background: Anemia is one of the main causes of under-five mortality in Africa. More than one-third (37%) of children aged 6-59 months in Zimbabwe are anemic. The causes of anemia in children are multifactorial, both those related to individuals (proximal risk factors) and those not directly related to individuals (distal risk factors).

Objectives: This study aims to determine the distal risk factors associated with anemia in children aged 6-59 months in Zimbabwe.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used in this study by analyzing Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for Zimbabwe in 2015. The total sample was 4303 households with children aged 6-59 months and fulfilled all the study variables. The distal risk factors that became independent variables in this study were land ownership, types of livestock, and two factors derived from the results of the Principal Component Analysis test, namely water and toilet sanitation and building sanitation. Univariate analysis was performed to see the frequency distribution of each variable, then bivariate analysis was performed with chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests to determine factors that were significantly related to the incidence of anemia and further tested with logistic regression so that variables that became risk factors were found. as well as protective factors against the incidence of anemia in children aged 6-59 months in Zimbabwe.

Results: Based on the results of this study, it was found that variables that were significantly related to the incidence of anemia were age, agricultural land ownership, types of livestock, water and toilet sanitation, and building sanitation. From several variables that became distal risk factors, it was found that variables that increased the risk factors for anemia in children aged 6-59 months, namely not having agricultural land (OR=2.84; 95% CI=2.38-3.4; p<0, 05), do not own livestock (OR=1.72; 95%CI=1.48-2; p<0.05) own poultry (OR=1.45; 95%CI=1.2-1.74) ; p<0.05) and building sanitation (OR=1.07; 95% CI=1-1.14; p<0.05). In addition, this study found a protective factor against the incidence of anemia in children aged 6-59 months in Zimbabwe, namely water and toilet sanitation (OR=0.85; 95% CI=0.8-0.91; p<0.05 ).

Conclusions: The causes of anemia in children aged 6-59 months are multifactorial. We suggest that policymakers plan an integrated program specifically in agriculture and animal husbandry so that every household has agricultural land and livestock to reduce the incidence of anemia in children aged 6-59 months in Zimbabwe

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