Anemia status and related factors among left-behind children in poverty-stricken rural areas, in China, 2016 / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To explore the prevalence of anemia and related factors among left-behind children in poverty-stricken rural areas in China, to provide basic information for anemia prevention and treatment for children.@*Methods@#Data from the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2016 were used to express the prevalence of anemia among left-behind children. By using the multistage stratified random cluster sampling method, left-behind children of the 6-17-years-old in poverty-stricken rural areas were recruited in this study. Blood hemoglobin concentration of these students was determined by cyanmethemoglobin method. Anemia was judged by the WHO recommended standard and combined with the sea level elevation correction standard. Frequencies of food intake were collected through questionnaires. Data was then available for analysis including the level of hemoglobin and anemia rates. Relationship between anemia and food intakes as well as other influential factors was also analyzed.@*Results@#The overall anemia prevalence (AP) was 11.6% among the participants. Rates of AP among the 6-, 7-, 15- and 16-17-years-old were 21.1%, 18.0%, 20.6% and 17.3%, respectively. Rates of AP among left-behind girls of 10-11-years-old and the 13-15-years-old were significantly higher than those in boys at the same age (P<0.01) group. Factors including being girls (OR=1.34, 95%CI 1.23-1.45), at grade 7 to 9 (OR=1.47, 95%CI1.30-1.67) and mother being migrant worker (OR=1.32, 95%CI1.16- 1.50) had higher proportions of getting anemia. Factors as living in the western area (OR=0.85, 95%CI 0.78-0.93), taking breakfast every day (OR=0.70, 95%CI 0.64-0.76), having meat more than twice per week (OR=0.84, 95%CI 0.75-0.93) and having two kinds of vegetables per day (OR=0.85, 95%CI 0.75-0.96) appeared protective.@*Conclusions@#Prevalence of anemia in left-behind children from the poverty-stricken rural areas was high, including junior middle school students from grade 7 to 9 at the early stage of youth development, girls and children with mothers as migrant workers. Anemia should be reduced by promoting the protective factors as having breakfast, increasing intakes of meat and fresh vegetables.