Background: Anemia is a global public health problem affecting
the majority of the population of the world in both developed and developing
countries with major consequences on human health as well as social and economic
development. It is the world’s second leading cause of disability of the whole
global disease burden. It affects 1.62 billion (24.8%) of the population, among
them, it is affecting 305 million (25.4%) school-age children
(SAC). Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess the
prevalence and factors associated with anemia among school-age children in
primary schools in Burao city, Somaliland, 2020. Materials & Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study design was done in four primary schools in
Burao, Somaliland. About 285 school-age
children in the age group between 6 - 14 years were selected with a respondent
rate of 93.4%. Random sampling was used to select schools and systemic random
sampling was used to identify children from the selected schools. Socio-demographic
data was collected by using a questionnaire & interviews of respondents in
addition to anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin measurement, and stool
examination. Complete Blood Counting (CBC) was used to determine the mean
corpuscular (kor-PUS-kyu-lar) volume (MCV) and hematocrit (HMC) levels to
detect hemoglobin status of the children. Data was entered and analyzed using
SPSS statistical software for Windows version 21. Anthropometric data was analyzed
using ANTHRO Plus. Bivariate logistic regression and multivariable logistic
regression were used to identify independent predictors of anemia in school
adolescent girls. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 285 school
References
[1]
Inoue, S. and Arceci, R.J. (2013) Pediatric Acute Anemia.
[2]
Sachdev, H., Gera, T. and Nestel, P. (2005) Effect of Iron Supplementation on Mental and Motor Development in Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Public Health Nutrition, 8, 117-132. https://doi.org/10.1079/PHN2004677
[3]
Glazer, Y. and Bilenko, N. (2010) Effect of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia in the First Two Years of Life on Cognitive and Mental Development during Childhood in Hebrew. Harefuah, 149, 309-314.
[4]
WHO, UNICEF/UNU (2001) Iron Deficiency Anaemia: Assessment, Prevention and Control, a Guide for Programme Managers. World Health Organization, Geneva.
[5]
Benoist, B., McLean, E., Egli, I. and Cogswell, M. (2008) Worldwide Prevalence of Anemia 1993-2005: WHO Global Database on Anemia. World Health Organization, Geneva, 7-13.
[6]
Kassebaum, N.J., Jasrasaria, R., Naghavi, M., et al. (2014) A Systematic Analysis of Global Anemia Burden from 1990 to 2010. Blood, 123, 615-624. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2013-06-508325
[7]
Scott, S.P., Chen-Edinboro, L.P., Caulfield, L.E., et al. (2014) The Impact of Anemia on Child Mortality: An Updated Review. Nutrients, 6, 5915-5932. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6125915
[8]
Hurtado, E.K., Claussen, A.H. and Scott, K.G. (1999) Early Childhood Anemia and Mild or Moderate Mental Retardation. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69, 115-119. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/69.1.115
[9]
Ai, Y., Zhao, S.R., Zhou, G., et al. (2012) Hemoglobin Status Associated with Performance IQ but Not Verbal IQ in Chinese Preschool Children. Pediatrics International, 54, 669-675. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-200X.2012.03648.x
[10]
Greisen, G. (1986) Mild Anemia in African School Children: Effects on Running Performance and an Intervention Trial. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 75, 662-667. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1986.tb10268.x
[11]
Gutema, B., Adissu, W., Asress, Y. and Gedefaw, L. (2014) Anemia and Associated Factors among School-Age Children in Filtu Town, Somali Region, Southeast Ethiopia. BMC Hematology, 14, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-1839-14-13
[12]
Semedo, M.R.L., Santos, M.M.A.S., Baião, M.R., Luiz, R.R. and da Veiga, G.V. (2014) Anemia and Associated Factors among School-Age Children in Cape Verde, West Africa. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 14, 9511-9528.
[13]
Luo, R.F., Zhang, L.X., Liu, C.F., Zhao, Q.R., Shi, Y.J., Miller, G. and Yu, E. (2011) Anemia among Students of Rural China’s Elementary Schools: Prevalence and Correlates in Ningxia and Qinghai’s Poor Counties. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 29, 471-485. https://doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v29i5.8901
[14]
Aedh, A., Elfaki, N. and Sounni, E. (2019) Iron Deficiency Anemia and Associated Risk Factors among Teenagers in Najran, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences, 8, 108-114.
[15]
Gad, A., Al-Quaiz, J., Khoja, T. and As-Sharif, A. (2013) Anemia among Primary School Children (5-12 Years) in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Study. The Canadian Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1, 27-34. https://doi.org/10.14206/canad.j.clin.nutr.2013.01.04
[16]
Getaneh, Z., Enawgaw, B., Engidaye, G., Seyoum, M., Berhane, M., Abebe, Z., et al. (2017) Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors among School Children in Gondar Town Public Primary Schools, Northwest Ethiopia: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study. PLoS ONE, 12, e0190151. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190151
[17]
Achouri, Y.A., Sbaibi, R., Ahami, A. and El Hioui, M. (2015) Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among School Children in Kenitra, Northwest of Morocco. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 18, 191-195. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjbs.2015.191.195
[18]
Andriastuti, M., Ilmana, G., Nawangwulan, S. and Kosasih, K. (2020) Prevalence of Anemia and Iron Profile among Children and Adolescents with Low Socio-Economic Status. International Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 7, 88-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpam.2019.11.001
[19]
Pullan, R.L., Gitonga, C., Mwandawiro, C., Snow, R.W. and Brooker, S.J. (2013) Estimating the Relative Contribution of Parasitic Infections and Nutrition for Anaemia among School-Aged Children in Kenya: A Subnational Geostatistical Analysis. British Medical Journal Open, 3, e001936. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001936
[20]
Onimawo, I., Ukegbu, P., Asumugha, V., Anyika, J., Okudu, H., Echendu, C., et al. (2010) Assessment of Anaemia and Iron Status of School Age Children (Aged 7 ± 12 Years) in Rural Communities of Abia State, Nigeria. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 10. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajfand.v10i5.56340
[21]
Hall, A., Bobrow, E., Brooker, S., Jukes, M., Nokes, K., Lambo, J., et al. (2001) Anaemia in Schoolchildren in Eight Countries in Africa and Asia. Public Health Nutrition, 4, 749-756. https://doi.org/10.1079/PHN2000111
[22]
Eltayeb, M.S.E., Elsaeed, A.E., Mohamedani, A.A. and Assayed, A.A. (2016) Prevalence of Anaemia among Quranic School (Khalawi) Students (Heiran) in Wad El Magboul Village, Rural Rufaa, Gezira State, Central Sudan: A Cross Sectional Study. The Pan African Medical Journal, 24. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2016.24.244.8355
[23]
Salama, R.A. and Labib, M.R. (2016) The Prevalence of Anemia among Informal Primary School Children: A Community Based Study in Rural Upper Egypt. Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, 13, 165-176.
[24]
Selmi, A. and Al-Hindi, A. (2011) Anaemia among School Children Aged 6 ± 11 Years Old in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Annals of Alquds Medicine, 7, 27-32.
[25]
Luo, R., Wang, X., Zhang, L., Liu, C., Shi, Y., Miller, G., et al. (2011) High Anemia Prevalence in Western China. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 42, 1204-1213.
[26]
Keskin, Y., Moschonis, G., Dimitriou, M., Sur, H., Kocaoglu, B., Hayran, O. and Manios, Y. (2005) Prevalence of Iron Deficiency among Schoolchildren of Different Socio-Economic Status in Urban Turkey. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 59, 64-71. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602035
[27]
Tariku, E., Abebe, G., Melketsedik, Z., Gutema, B., Megersa, N. and Sorrie, M. (2019) Anemia and Its Associated Factors among School-Age Children Living in Different Climatic Zones of Arba Minch Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia. BMC Hematology, 19, 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12878-019-0137-4