Community approach to identify cases of anemia in pregnant women, boys and girls in three communities in Peru

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia affects growth and cognitive development from the first stages of human life. It is necessary to undertake a community strategy to detect cases in a timely manner in order to guarantee comprehensive development opportunities in later life stages. Objective: To describe a community approach model for the detection of cases of anemia in boys and girls in three marginal urban communities in northern Peru. Methodology: A prospective, cross-sectional, observational epidemiological study, 412 people were screened with spectrophotometry equipment, including pregnant women, boys and girls under 5 years of age. In addition, anonymous questionnaires were applied to evaluate the determinants of health. Homes with anemia cases were geo-located and a computer application was developed for storing information. Results: In the communities of San José and Salamanca, 3.9% (16) and 7% (29) cases of anemia were represented respectively, and only 1.7% (7) cases in Los Jardines. There is a significant relationship between the communities and the appearance of cases of anemia p value = 0.001; 95% CI confidence interval. Furthermore, 9.5% (39) of anemia cases did not have access to any social program. Finally, 83.7% (345) of those screened did not report anemia and were supplemented with micronutrients. Conclusions: The community model could be a benchmark in primary health care as a strategy for social determinism in cases of anemia in pregnant women, boys and girls.