title: Factors associated with haemoglobin concentration among Timor-Leste children aged 6-59 months.
abstract: The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations among children aged 6-59 months in Timor-Leste. The 2003 Demographic and Health Survey was a multi-stage cluster survey of 4,320 households from four different geographic regions in Timor-Leste. In total, 4,514 children aged 6-59 months were included in the analysis. The prevalence of anaemia (Hb concentration <11.0g/dL) was 38.2% (638/1,668) for children aged 6-23 months and 22.6% (644/2,846) for older children (p<0.001). Girls had a higher mean Hb concentration than boys (11.9g/dL vs 11.7g/ dL, p<0.006) and children who had diarrhoea in the previous two weeks had a lower Hb concentration than children without diarrhoea (11.5g/dL vs 11.9g/dL, p<0.001). Children from the richest and middle-class households had a lower average Hb concentration than those from the poorest households (11.8g/ dL, 11.7g/dL vs 12.0g/dL, p<0.001). Children of mothers with some secondary or more education had a lower mean Hb concentration than children of mothers with completed primary, some primary and no education (11.7 g/dL vs 11.9 g/dL, 11.8 g/dL, and 11.9 g/dL, p=0.002). Children from severely-anaemic mothers had a lower mean Hb concentration than children from moderately-, mild and not anaemic mothers (10.5 g/dL vs 11.1 g/dL, 11.6 g/dL, 12.0 g/dL, p<0.001). After backward stepwise hierarchical multiple regression, wasting, male sex, recent diarrhoea, household wealth index (richest and middle-class), maternal educational status (some secondary or more and some primary), and maternal anaemic status were significantly associated with a lower Hb concentration in children and increased age of child and duration of breastfeeding (6 months) with a higher Hb concentration. Anaemia-prevention programmes among children in Timor-Leste should focus on those children aged less than two years, children with recent diarrhoea, wasted children, high socioeconomic status, and anaemic mothers.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia. k.agho@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Agho
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dibley
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Este
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gibberd
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins