ASSESSMENT OF PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF ANEMIA AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN GEDEO ZONE WENAGO WOREDA, SNNPR, SOUTH ETHIOPIA

2017 
Mohammed Feyisso 1* , Yohannes Addisu 1 1 Department of Public Health, College of Health science and School of Medicine, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia Background: Adolescence is a formative  period  of  life  between 10-19 years of age characterized  by  rapid  growth  and  development  next  to  the  period  of infancy. During adolescence iron requirement increases dramatically in both adolescent boys and girls, from preadolescent level of 0.7-0.9 mg Fe/day to as much as 2.2 mg Fe/day. With the poor quality of diet consumed from early childhood and the early onset of menarche seen as a secular trend in the population, depletion of iron stores would occur at faster rate, particularly, in adolescent females . Objective: The objective of this study was assessing the prevalence and severity of anemia and associated factors among school adolescents in Gedeo Zone, Wenago Wereda. Methods: School based cross sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 424 school adolescents in Gedeo Zone, Wenago Woreda using structured questionnaire distributed across 15 randomly selected schools. Descriptive summary using frequencies, proportions, graphs and crosstabs was used to describe the data on prevalence of anemia, individual characteristics, anthropometric measurement, and stool examination result. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify determinants of anemia among adolescents. Results: About 424 school adolescents were responded to the enquiry. The prevalence of anemia among adolescents in this study was found to be 21.7% and all most all of the anemic adolescents were mildly anemic. Nutritionally about 20.0% of the respondents were found to be with severe chronic energy deficiency. Adolescents in early adolescence period (AOR: 5.557 (CI: 1.435, 21.523)), those with severe chronic energy deficiency (AOR: 4.394 (CI: 1.483, 13.018)), those from lowest wealth quintiles (AOR: 7.809 (CI: 1.554, 39.249)), those who never or rarely wear shoe (AOR: 4.477 (CI: 1.379, 14.530)) and those whom their families get food by purchasing or aid (AOR: 4.434 (CI: 1.609, 12.218)) were found to be more anemic. Conversely those who eat meal three or more times daily (AOR: 0.213 (CI: 0.084, 0.536)) and female adolescents (AOR: 0.242 (CI: 0.080, 0.738)) were found to be less anemic in this study. Conclusions: The finding shows that the prevalence of anemia in this area is considered as of mild public health significance according to World Health Organization. However it needs special emphasis as most of these adolescents are also with chronic energy deficiency as a burden. Special school based intervention needs to be considered. Key words: Anemia, adolescent, hemoglobin, nutritional status.
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