Prevalence of anemia among displaced and nondisplaced mothers and children--Azerbaijan, 2001.
In the early 1990s, the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Azeri region of Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in approximately 600,000 internally displaced persons and 200,000 refugees in Azerbaijan. After years of displacement and despite sustained humanitarian assistance, these internally displaced persons and refugees (IDP/Rs) are still coping with unfavorable living conditions and limited employment opportunities. Results of a 1996 CDC survey in Azerbaijan revealed high rates of malnutrition and anemia among both the IDP/R and resident populations and prompted further study of the nutritional status of these populations. This report summarizes results of a 2001 survey of IDP/R and non-IDP/R mothers and children with anemia in Azerbaijan. Findings indicated that more than one third of mothers and children were anemic, with no significant difference in the overall prevalence between IDP/R and non-IDP/R populations; however, among the IDP/R population, anemia was associated with various socioeconomic factors such as education, socioeconomic status (SES), and area of residence. Future studies should focus on identifying causes for the high rates of anemia in Azerbaijan and developing effective interventions such as iron supplementation and behavior modification.
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001382:Azerbaijan / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009035:Mothers; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data