A Scoping Review of the Risk Factors Associated with Anaemia among Children Under Five Years in Sub-Saharan African Countries

Phillips Edomwonyi Obasohan, Stephen J. Walters, Richard Jacques and Khaled Khatab
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Phillips Edomwonyi Obasohan: School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK
Stephen J. Walters: School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK
Richard Jacques: School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK
Khaled Khatab: Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S10 2BP, UK

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-20

Abstract: Background /Purpose : Globally, anaemia is a severe public health condition affecting over 24% of the world’s population. Children under five years old and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to this disease. This scoping review aimed to evaluate studies that used classical statistical regression methods on nationally representative health survey data to identify the individual socioeconomic, demographic and contextual risk factors associated with developing anaemia among children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods/Design: The reporting pattern followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE (OVID platform), Web of Science, PUBMED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane library, African Journal of online (AJOL), Google Scholar and Measure DHS. Results: The review identified 20 relevant studies and the risk factors for anaemia were classified as child-related, parental/household-related and community- or area-related factors. The risk factors for anaemia identified included age, birth order, sex, comorbidities (such as fever, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection), malnutrition or stunting, maternal education, maternal age, mother’s anaemia status, household wealth and place of residence. Conclusion: The outcome of this review is of significant value for health policy and planners to enable them to make informed decision that will correct any imbalances in anaemia across socioeconomic, demographic and contextual characteristics, with the view of making efficient distributions of health interventions.

Keywords: anaemia; iron-deficiency; under five; sub-Saharan Africa; risk factors; scoping review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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