Trends and predictors of severe and moderate anaemia among children aged 6-59 months in India: An analysis of three rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite attempts to tackle malnutrition, childhood anaemia remains a significant public health concern impacting both child development and overall health in India. This study aims to analyse the prevalence rates and identify time-independent (unchanging) predictors associated with anaemia severity among children in India. Methods Data analysis was conducted using NFHS datasets from three survey rounds. The final analytical sample for this study comprised 40,331 children in NFHS-3 (2005–2006), 200,093 in NFHS-4 (2015–2016) and 178,909 in NFHS-5 (2019–2021). Descriptive, multivariable and binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with severe and moderate anaemia among children aged 6–59 months. All statistical analyses were conducted using Stata-14, a software package developed by Stata Corp. Results There has been an increase in the prevalence of severe anaemia among children from NFHS-4 to NFHS-5. Among all three rounds of NFHS, the highest prevalence of severe anaemia was observed among children aged 12–23 months, particularly among males compared to females. Urban children and those belonging to SC/ST communities experienced higher rates of severe/moderate anaemia. Moreover, children born to mothers with 4–5 children (OR 1.1, p < 0.05) and 6 or more children (OR 1.2, p < 0.05) demonstrated an increased likelihood of severe/moderate anaemia. Additionally, children whose mothers had no education were found to be 1.4 times more susceptible to severe/moderate anaemia. These factors consistently predict severe/moderate anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in India, suggesting they are predictors of anaemia independent of time in the country. Conclusion This study highlights the trends and predictors of severe/moderate anaemia among Indian children which is vital for designing effective public health interventions. Targeted approaches like nutritional supplementation, maternal education programs, improving household diet diversity, and community-based interventions are essential to combat anaemia effectively to improve the overall health and well-being of children.