Assessment of the prevalence and potential determinants of nutritional anaemia in Upper Egypt

Abstract

Iron deficiency is the most common type of malnutrition worldwide. This community-based study was conducted to assess the prevalence of anaemia in Minia, Assiut, and Sohag Governorates of Upper Egypt and to analyse the nature of the problem to help prioritize the control intervention strategy. The study was conducted on children aged 6 to 71 months. The two-stage cluster sampling method was used, and 2,700 pre-schoolers (900 in each Governorate) were enrolled. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, morbidity profile, dietary characteristics (breastfeeding and qualitative and quantitative food-consumption patterns), haemoglobin concentration by the cyanmethaemoglobin method, and urine and stool analysis (for every fifth child). The analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data followed the guidelines and indicators recommended by the World Health Organization/UNICEF. Anaemia was very highly prevalent among all pre-schoolers (69%). Minia Governorate showed the highest trend in prevalence of anaemia, followed by Sohag and then Assiut. The prevalence of anaemia was slightly higher in most rural sites and was higher among girls (70%) than boys (68%). The highest prevalence was seen in the second year of life. Severe anaemia was observed among 5.5% of pre-school children. Breastfeeding pattern, economic status, parasitic load, and the anaemia state of mothers were all significantly associated with the risk of anaemia. A set of strategic recommendations and implications for action was proposed.