Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy

Abstract

Anemia in Children Aged 7 Months to 12 Years and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study of Children Admitted at the Effiduase District Hospital and Ahmadiyya Mission Hospital, Ghana

Antwi Joseph Barimah*, Mohammed Mohammed Ibrahim, Solomon Saka Allotey, Bernard Opoku Amoah, Larry Agyemang, James Dumba, Yaw Boakye Nketiah, Rebecca Dorcas Commey, Semefa Alorvi and Deborah Ampofo

Anemia in Children Aged 7 Months to 12 Years and Associated Factors: A Cross- Sectional Study of Children Admitted at the Effiduase District Hospital and Ahmadiyya Mission Hospital, Ghana Antwi Joseph Barimah*, Mohammed Mohammed Ibrahim, Solomon Saka Allotey, Bernard Opoku Amoah, Larry Agyemang, James Dumba, Yaw Boakye Nketiah, Rebecca Dorcas Commey, Semefa Alorvi, Deborah Ampofo Department of Public Health and Allied Science, Yamfo College of Health, Yamfo, Ghana ABSTRACT A number of factors have been identified as influencing the prevalence of anaemia in children. In the Sekyere East district, an increasing trend of children with severe anaemia leading to haemotransfusion has been observed. Over a three months period (June to August 2022) approximately one hundred (100) children were haemotransfused due to severe anaemia in theEffiduase district hospital. This quantitative oriented study adopted the descriptive cross- sectional study design. Specifically, the study sought to explore the prevalence of childhood anaemia andits associated factors in the district. Purposive sampling technique which is a non-probability (non-randomized) was used to select children and their guardians to partake in the study. SPSS statistical software version 25 was used to analyze quantitative data of this study and data were presented in frequencies using tables. This study has accentuated high prevalence of anaemia in theSekyere East district looking at the variousfindings brought to light by the Haemoglobin (Hb) bloodanalysis, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) bloodtests and the MeanCorpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) test results. The findings from the study have also shown that malaria inchildren is significantly associated with the onset of childhood anaemia. The study additionally revealed moderate nutritional intake of food products very rich in iron, vitamin B₁₂ and folate nutrients necessary to curb anaemia in children. In conclusion, study findings therefore underscore the need for multi-faceted approaches that address both malaria control and nutrition in order to reduce anaemia among the children in the Sekyere East district.

Published Date: 2024-01-04; Received Date: 2023-06-07