PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN AMBO TOWN, WEST SHEWA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Anemia has been shown to be a public health problem that affects both developing and developed countries. About half of the global burden of anemia is due to iron deficiency anemia. Anemia has significant adverse health consequences, as well as adverse impacts on social and economic development among adolescent girls. Because initiatives to prevent anemia commonly target infants, young children, pregnant and lactating women, and not necessarily adolescents, the needs of adolescents may remain unmet and the consequences of anemia in adolescents continued. Objective: To assess the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among adolescent girls in Ambo town, Central Ethiopia. Methods and materials: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of 551 adolescent girls in Ambo town, Central Ethiopia from August 5- August 29, 2018. Structured pretested questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were used to collect sociodemographic and anthropometric data respectively. Anthropometric data (weight and height) and hemoglobin level were measured for each study participants. For Hemoglobin (Hb) level determination, blood sample was taken from tip of finger and analyzed by Hemocue hemoglobin spectrophotometer (Hemocue HB 301 analyzer). The measured Hb was adjusted for altitude of the town by subtracting 0.83 g/dl. Weight and height were measured with participants light clothing, bare footed, hands hanging along sides with head and neck straight and recorded to the nearest of 0.1 units. The data were entered onto Epi-data version 3.02 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 20.0 for analysis. Bivariable analyses were done to see the association between each independent variable and the outcome variable. All variables with p value <0.25 during bivariable analyses were considered for further multivariable logistic regression analysis to control for all potential confounders and to identify factors associated with the outcome variable. XIII Odds Ratios along with 95%CI were estimated to measure the strength of the association between dependent and independent variables. Level of statistical significance was declared at p value ≤0.05. RESULT: The prevalence of anemia in this study was 39%, 95%CI (34.8, 43.0). Adolescent girls those started menses were 1.93 times more likely to be anemic than those not started menses [AOR=1.93, 95%CI: (1.19, 3.13)]. Adolescent from mothers those unable to read and write were more 3.27 times more likely to be anemic compared to those whose mothers were college and above [(AOR=3.27,95%CI=1.79,5.97)]. Adolescent those who always take tea/coffee within 30 minutes after meal were 6.16 times more likely to be anemic compared to those not consume once per week [(AOR= 6.16, 95%CI= 3.24,11.71)]. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anemia among school adolescents was moderate public health problem in the study area. Mother educational status of adolescent girls , menstruation status and tea/coffee intake within 30 minutes after meal were independent predictors of anemia. Community based intervention targeting adolescents should focus on identified factors will be very important for the prevention and control of anemia.