Determinants of under-five anaemia in the high prevalence regions of Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Anaemia is a serious public health issue that mostly affects children and women throughout their lives, resulting in a high morbidity and mortality burden. It is the third most dominant cause of hospital admission among children under-five in Ghana and the fourth leading cause of under-five mortality in Ghana. This study aims to identify the determinants of under-five anaemia in the high prevalent regions of Ghana using the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (2019 GMIS). Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (2019 GMIS). The data was analysed using SPSS version 20. The relationship between the dependent and independent variables was established using the chi-square test and binary logistic regression model. A p-value of 0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance of the study. Results: There were 913 eligible under-five children for this study, with 50.2% males and 49.8% females. The prevalence of under-five anaemia recorded in this current study for the three northern regions was 68.0%. The region with dominant (72.9%) prevalence was the Upper East region. Children of lower age group were more likely to be diagnosed with anaemia (P < 0.05). Children with female household heads were 35% less likely to be diagnosed with anaemia (AOR=0.65, 95% C.I.= 0.421-0.995). Those who had mothers with higher educational attainment were 79% less likely to be diagnosed with anaemia (AOR=0.21, 95% C.I.=0.085–0.541). Finally, those with history of fever in the last weeks were 62% more likely (AOR=1.62, 95% C.I. = 1.155–2.282). Conclusions: The high prevalence in the three northern regions of Ghana can be corrected with women empowerment through higher formal educational achievement and improved income status.