Iron-rich food consumption and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

Abstract

Introduction Anemia remains a major public health problem for children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Iron-rich foods consumption has a determinant role on the anemia status. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of good consumption of iron-rich foods and its associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in SSA. Materials and methods The recent Demographic and Health Survey data sets of thirty-five SSA countries were used. Data were analyzed using STATA/MP version 16.0 and all statistical analyses were done after weighting the data. A generalized linear mixed model using Poisson regression with robust error variance was used to determine factors associated with good consumption of iron-rich food. Association of variables was declared at a p-value of ≤0.05 and adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) ratio with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for each variable. Results The total weighted samples of 77,001 children aged 6–23 months were included. The prevalence of consumption of iron rich foods was 42.1% (95% CI: 41.78–42.48). Children with age of 12–17 (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.89–2.04) and 18–23 months (aPR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.97–2.14), who took drugs for intestinal parasites (aPR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.26–1.34), with postnatal check within 2 months (aPR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.13), and children from women with ANC visit of 1–3 (aPR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.24–1.37) and ≥4 (aPR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.34–1.48) had higher prevalence of good consumption of iron rich foods. Moreover, the prevalence of consumptions of iron rich foods was higher among children from; family with rich (aPR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.30–1.42) and middle (aPR = 1.14 95% CI: 1.09–1.19) wealth index, and mother with media exposure (aPR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.22–1.31). Conclusion The prevalence of good consumption of iron-rich foods among children aged 6–23 months in SSA countries is low. Child factors, family factors, and community-level factors were significantly associated with consumption of iron rich foods. Strategies to increase the consumption of iron-rich foods during this critical stage of growth and development should be designed in SSA.