The relationship of socio-demographic factors with iron deficiency anaemia in children of 1-2 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate associations between different socio-demographic factors with iron deficiency anaemia in Pakistani children of 1-2 years of age.


METHODS
A case control study, with 50 cases and 100 controls, was conducted at the Community Health Centre, an outpatient clinic of the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, between July 1993-July 1995. Informed consent was taken from mothers for their children's blood tests and a questionnaire was administered to them. The data was analyzed using chi-square, t-tests and logistic regression.


RESULTS
The numbers of pregnancies, live births and living children were more among cases than controls but the differences were not statistically significant. Although father's education did not show a significant association (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.22-8.33), maternal education was significantly associated with the children's anaemic status (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.40-9.02). The difference in monthly incomes between families of cases and controls was the most significant variable among all those studied (p-value 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that while lack of maternal education and low monthly family incomes are both significantly associated with the development of childhood anaemia, low monthly income is most significant.
Ali
N S
NS
Division of Family Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Zuberi
R W
RW
D017677:Age Distribution; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population