Association of soybean-based food with the prevalence of anaemia among reproductive-aged men and women in rural Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between soybean consumption and anaemic status in Central Java, Indonesia. Design: As part of an overarching sanitation improvement intervention in Central Java, Indonesia, we conducted a cross-sectional study in four rural villages. The study consisted of a 24-h food recall, anthropometric measurements, blood Hb measurement and stool sampling to test for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection status. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to test the association between soybean consumption and anaemic status after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, STH infection, dietary diversity and anthropometric status. Setting: This study took place in four rural villages of Wonosobo regency, Central Java, Indonesia. Participants: Participants were rural villagers aged between 15 and 49 years. Results: A total sample size of 763 was attained, of which 231 were anaemic. The prevalence of anaemia was 30.2 % among men and women of reproductive age, and highest among young males. Consumption of soybean was high (79.8 %). After adjusting for covariates, the protective association between soybean consumption and anaemia was statistically significant (AOR = 0.53, 95 % CI = 0.30, 0.95, P < 0.05). There was a positive association with anaemia among underweight (AOR = 2.75, 95 % CI = 1.13, 6.69, P < 0.05) and those with high diet diversity (AOR = 1.40, 95 % CI = 1.00, 1.97, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results were consistent with studies from other countries finding a protective association between soybean consumption and anaemia. This association appeared stronger for tofu than for tempeh. The prevalence of anaemia in rural Central Java is relatively consistent with nation-wide statistics indicating that interventions targeting anaemia are still largely required.