PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ANEMIA IN CHILDREN ENROLLED IN DAYCARE CENTERS: A HIERARCHICAL ANALYSIS.

Taiane Gonçalves Novaes,Cláudio Lima Souza,Joel Alves Lamounier,Elma Izze Da Silva Magalhães,Andressa Tavares Gomes,Michele Pereira Netto,Karine Chagas Da Silveira,Daniela Da Silva Rocha

doi:10.1590/1984-0462/;2017;35;3;00008

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children younger than five years old enrolled in public daycare centers in a city in southwestern Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included a sample of 677 children enrolled in public daycare centers in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil. A portable hemoglobinometer was used to measure hemoglobin. The concentration of <11 g/dL was considered the cutoff point for a diagnosis of anemia. A questionnaire was applied to parents/guardians in order to collect socioeconomic data, maternal characteristics and information on the child’s health and nutrition. Height and weight were measured to assess the child’s nutritional status. Poisson regression with robust variance and hierarchical selection of variables was used to identify factors associated with anemia. Results: The prevalence of anemia was 10.2% and was more frequent in children whose homes had no sanitary facilities (PR 3.36; 95%CI 1.40-8.03); in those who did not exclusively breastfeed (PR 1.80; 95%CI 1.12-2.91); in children aged less than 36 months (PR 1.85; 95%CI 1.19-2.89) and those who had low height for age (PR 2.06; 95%CI 1.10-3.85).Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia is considered to be a mild public health problem in the children, who are enrolled in daycare centers. Children with inadequate sanitary conditions, and that were not exclusively breastfed, as well as younger children and children with a nutritional deficit, were more likely to present the condition.

Highlights

Iron deficiency anemia is considered a public health problem that affects the populations of both developed and developing countries
There was a loss of 23 children who did not attend the daycare center on the days of data collection, leaving a total of 677 children
In the multivariate hierarchical analysis (Table 4) as a distal factor, there was an association between sanitary installation and anemia: children, whose caretakers reported that they did not have a bathroom at home, had a higher prevalence of anemia

Summary

Objective

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children younger than five years old enrolled in public daycare centers in a city in southwestern Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included a sample of 677 children enrolled in public daycare centers in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil. Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia is considered to be a mild public health problem in the children, who are enrolled in daycare centers. Objetivo: Determinar a prevalência e os fatores associados à anemia em crianças menores de cinco anos assistidas em creches públicas de um município no sudoeste da Bahia. Conclusões: A prevalência de anemia pode ser considerada um problema de Saúde Pública menor em crianças de creches populares nesse município. Palavras-chave: Anemia; Pré-escolar; Fatores de risco; Creches; Epidemiologia; Estudos transversais

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DISCUSSION